25 Oct What happens in the ear during a sudden hearing loss?

If you suddenly can no longer hear properly in one or both ears and/or the voice of the person you are talking to sounds far away, then you may have sudden deafness. In simple terms, this is when your hearing collapses. In this article, we explain exactly how this happens and what you can do to prevent a sudden loss of hearing.

What is sudden deafness and what are the causes?

The sudden onset of sudden deafness: those affected immediately hear much worse or almost nothing at all, as if a large piece of cotton wool or other foreign object were blocking the ear. This symptomatology is often accompanied by a dull pressure, a strange furry feeling, dizziness and ringing in the ears (Tinnitus). A sudden hearing loss does not cause pain.

But what exactly happens during a sudden hearing loss? Normally, sound travels through the ear canal to the middle ear. From there, the signals are transmitted via the Eardrum and auditory ossicles to the inner ear. Here they are converted into electrical nerve signals and sent to the brain.

The first part of this completely normal hearing process still works smoothly with sudden hearing loss: the sound reaches the inner ear. But here the further transmission of information is suddenly restricted. As a result, the sensory impressions are no longer processed correctly, which leads to a disturbance in the perception of sound.

The exact cause is probably a circulatory disorder in the inner ear. As with all other organs, the ear and its fine auditory sensory cells must be continuously supplied with oxygen and nutrients from the blood. If the blood supply comes to a standstill, e.g. due to constricted blood vessels, the cells lack the necessary nourishment. As a result, they can no longer fulfil their task smoothly.

However, it is also possible that the hair cells themselves or the transmission to the brain are defective.

Possibility of confusion with other complaints of the ear

Sudden hearing loss does not necessarily have to be caused by a sudden loss of hearing.
It can also be caused by an infection, e.g. a middle ear infection, or a plug of earwax blocking the ear canal. It is also possible that strong noise, e.g. from a bang or an explosion, causes a short-term hearing loss.

Diagnosis and treatment of sudden hearing loss in Frankfurt

A sudden loss of hearing is not considered an absolute emergency, but you should nevertheless contact our PRAXISKLINIK GOETHE 10 if your hearing changes so suddenly. Because the sooner you act, the better and faster you can be helped.

We can rule out other causes on site and carry out a number of tests to confirm the diagnosis (e.g. tuning fork test, tone audiogram, tympanometry, brainstem audiometry, balance test).

Once the diagnosis has been confirmed, we will discuss the treatment with you. We have various methods at our disposal, e.g. the administration of cortisone as an infusion and/or tablet. The medication can also be injected directly into the middle ear. Specialised oxygen therapy is also possible.

ENT Frankfurt: Dr Thomas Fischer & Dr Albrecht Linke

Your specialists for ear, nose and throat medicine, who will provide you with professional and individualised advice, examinations and treatment in all matters relating to ENT medicine, functional plastic surgery and the aesthetic treatment of changes to the facial skin.

Our news articles are prepared for you to the best of our knowledge and belief and are intended for general education. They are in no way a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis and treatment and are not intended to encourage self-diagnosis or self-treatment. Please always contact your ENT specialist in Frankfurt directly if you have any health complaints!

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