All You Must Know About An Ear Stroke Or Acute Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Heard of an ear stroke? Did you know it could have a sudden onset of hearing loss? Read on to know more about it.

It was a shocker for 54-year-old Gayathri (name changed to protect privacy) from Bangalore when she started experiencing sudden hearing loss in her left ear within a span of just seven days. While earlier, there was no difficulty at all in hearing, Gayathriwas Diabetic and hardly worked on controlling it. The hearing tests showed an 80 per cent decrease in hearing. Hearing tests conducted consequently did not show any significant improvement in hearing. Gayathri is undergoing treatment at present.

The case is s similar to Hariprasad’s (name changed to protect privacy ). The 58-year-old from rural Karnataka was referred to a hospital in Bangalore following an acute stroke. He was found to have a history of hypertension and Diabetes. A brain MRI confirmed the stroke involving the auditory region of the brain. While he recovered over a period of 4 to 6 months after being treated with antiplatelet medications, he was left with residual hearing loss.

Both Gayathri and Hariprasad suffered from ear stroke which is medically termed as Acute Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SNHL). It refers to the onset of sudden severe loss of hearing in one ear, which, according to the doctors, is predominantly caused by acute ischemia or loss of blood supply and consequent tissue death. While not much may be known about them, Dr Pramod Krishnan, HOD & Consultant – Neurology, Epileptology, Sleep Medicine, Manipal Hospitals Old Airport Road, Bangalore highlights a recent study that has shown about 92 per cent of individuals affected by ear stroke had a clot in the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) which is a blood vessel in the brain. Any age group may be affected by ear stroke, the incidence increases with age, putting those above 50 at a greater risk.

What causes an ear stroke?

“The most common cause of acute SNHL is blood vessel occlusion leading to an ischemic stroke. Intracerebral haemorrhage, viral infections of the brain such as herpes zoster or influenza can also result in an ear stroke. The predominant risk factors are increasing age, systemic hypertension, diabetes mellitus, heart disease, smoking and alcohol use,” says Dr Krishnan.

Signs to watch out

Those experiencing a sudden drop in hearing, commonly affecting one ear, or a block sensation in the ear which wasn’t pre-existing or sudden onset vertigo with ringing/buzzing/whistling sound in the ear must not delay and seek clinical help immediately.

Dr Rohit Udaya Prasad, Consultant, ENT and hearing implantology, Aster RV Hospital, Bangalore, says: “Most patients suffering from an ear stroke tend to ignore or self medicate linking the problem to common cold or wax in the ear and do not reach the doctor on time. Patients present within 24-48 hours respond better to treatment. Early audiological evaluation helps to identify the degree of hearing loss.”

Treating ear stroke: Why and How?

Initiating treatment at the right time is extremely crucial, as otherwise, ear stroke may lead to permanent hearing disability. What would your treatment include? Dr Honey Ashok, Senior Consultant – ENT, Head Neck Onco Surgery, Sakra World Hospital, Bangalore, says: “The primary part of the treatment for ear stroke is to start high dose intravenous steroids at the earliest for a period of 3 days followed by oral steroids. Usually, we prefer the patient to get admitted to the hospital for the IV steroids so that the fluctuations in blood pressure and sugar can be monitored. We also start on antivirals, some drugs to improve the blood flow to the nerve. An MRI of the brain is performed to look for any tumours or lesions in the brain or course of the nerve. The patient is also advised to take blood tests like blood sugars, complete blood count, lipid profile, thyroid profile, vitamin levels, etc.”

Clinical help for an ear stroke can help with mental stress and disturbance in sleep. “?It is quite distressing to lose the sense of hearing all of a sudden which exactly happens in the case of an ear stroke. It creates a deep impact on the mind and also hurts an individual’s sense of confidence. Also, associated tinnitus or noise in the ear can cause a lot of irritation resulting in sleep loss,” says Dr Sreenivasa Murthy, Consultant ENT, Columbia Asia Referral Hospital Yeshwanthpur, Bangalore.

Preventing ear stroke: Dos and Don’ts

• Maintain a good and balanced lifestyle
• Do not skip regular exercise
• Identify common risk factors like Diabetes, hypertension and more and control them adequately
• Quit smoking
• Avoid alcohol as much as possible