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Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSNHL), or sudden deafness, is an unexplained rapid loss of hearing that typically occurs in one ear over a 72-hour period. SSNHL affects between one and six people per 5,000 every year, however the actual SSNHL incident cases may be higher since it often goes undiagnosed. SSNHL most often affects adults between the ages of 40–50-year-olds.1

Common causes:
  • Viral or bacterial infection
  • Loss of blood flow (ischemia) to the inner ear
  • A ruptured membrane in the inner ear
  • Stroke
  • Autoimmune disease
  • Meniere’s Disease
  • Acoustic Neuroma
Current treatment:
  • Corticosteroids

Advancements in the science behind SSNHL have been limited over the past several decades. Thus, with this new initiative at The House Institute Foundation, we hope to improve our understanding of the etiologies, diagnostic capabilities, and treatments for SSNHL.

 

1. Sudden Deafness. NIH Pub. No. 00-4757. March 2018. https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/sudden-deafness

A Patient’s Perspective:

SSNHL Progress:

  • HSA for SSNHL initiated in October 2022
  • In-person workshop held on April 21-23, 2023 in Washington D.C.
  • White paper accepted for publication in Otology & Neurotology journal in July 2024
  • William Slattery, MD presented research priorities at COSM conference in Chicago of May 2024
  • Workgroups to address top research priorities have began to meet
  • Update meeting with past SSNHL experts/participants will be arranged

Get Involved:

For questions or ways to get involved, please contact:

Shemms Najjar
Hearing Science Accelerator Coordinator
hsacoordinator@hifla.org
213-394-7969

Support the Hearing Science Accelerator
Stay Updated On Our Research Efforts

 Literature Updates:

  • Plontke, S. K., Girndt, M., Meisner, C., Fischer, I., Böselt, I., Löhler, J., Ludwig-Kraus, B., Richter, M., Steighardt, J., Reuter, B., Böttcher, C., Langer, J., Pethe, W., Seiwerth, I., Jovanovic, N., Großmann, W., Kienle-Gogolok, A., Boehm, A., Neudert, M., Diensthuber, M., … HODOKORT Trial Investigators (2024). High-Dose Glucocorticoids for the Treatment of Sudden Hearing Loss. NEJM evidence, 3(1), EVIDoa2300172. https://doi.org/10.1056/EVIDoa2300172 
  • Nelson L, Swanson D, Borowiec E, et al. The Impact of Intratympanic Steroid Dosage on Hearing Recovery in Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss. Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology. 2023;132(8):879-887. doi:10.1177/00034894221120125   
  • Ying, Y. M., Tseng, C. C., Shin, J., & Rauch, S. (2024). Natural History of Untreated Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss. The Laryngoscope, 134 Suppl 9, S1–S15. https://doi.org/10.1002/lary.31474