Sudden hearing loss is usually unilateral, but sometimes bilateral. A clear mechanism for how sudden hearing loss occurs has not been proven yet. However, the treatment may vary according to any detectable cause. Spontaneous recovery is observed in approximately half of these patients. With corticosteroid treatment, this rate rises to 90 percent.

It is hearing loss of unknown cause that occurs gradually or suddenly within an average of 3 days. Sudden hearing loss may be accompanied by tinnitus. It may be accompanied by dizziness, nausea or vomiting. Since it is an unexpected situation, it creates a shocking and alarming situation.

Sudden hearing loss is usually unilateral, but sometimes bilateral. A clear mechanism for how sudden hearing loss occurs has not been proven yet. However, the treatment may vary according to any detectable cause. Spontaneous recovery is observed in approximately half of these patients. With corticosteroid treatment, this rate rises to 90 percent.



If head trauma or fistula perforation is detected as the cause of sudden hearing loss, the possibility of surgical treatment increases.

Causes of sudden hearing loss

Although there are hundreds of reasons that can cause sudden hearing loss, the most common causes are summarized below.

  • Infections
    • Bacterial infections
      • Meningitis
      • Labyrinthite
      • Syphilis
    • Viral infections
      • Mumps
      • Cytomegalovirus
      • Measles
      • Infectious mononucleosis
      • HIV
    • Inflammatory conditions
      • Autoimmune inner ear disease
      • Cogan syndrome
      • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
      • Multiple Sclerosis
      • Behcet ‘s disease
      • Sarcoidosis
      • Wegener’s granulomatosis
      • Relapsing polychondritis
      • Polyarteritis nodosa
      • Sjogren’s syndrome
      • Temporal arteritis
    • Traumas
      • Temporal bone fractures
      • Acoustic trauma
      • Perilymph fistula
    • tumors
      • Pontocerebellar corner tumors
      • Metastatic tumors of the temporal bone
      • Carcinomatosis meningititis
    • ototoxic causes
      • Aminoglycosides
      • Aspirin
    • Vascular causes
      • Thromboembolism
      • Macroglobulinemia
      • After coronary by-pass surgery
      • Non-functional posterior communicating arteries
      • Cerebrovascular events
    • Hematogenous causes
      • Sickle cell disease
      • Leukemias
    • Endocrinological diseases
      • Hypothyroidism
    • Anatomical anomalies
      • Cochlear dysplasia
      • Mondini malformation
      • Wide vestibular aqueduct syndrome
    • Other reasons
      • Spontaneous perilymph fistula
      • Spontaneous intra-maze hemorrhages
      • Inner ear anomalies
      • Delayed endolymphatic hydrops



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