Curious Case of Sudden and Complete Hearing Loss Without Any Prior Indications

Jogesh Patel visited HCG Hospitals, Ahmedabad in mid December with a complaint of sudden and complete hearing loss in the left ear. On preliminary screening by our ENT specialist Dr. Sohil Vadiya it was revealed that Jogesh never experienced any symptoms that could indicate that he has an ear problem, which will lead to complete and sudden hearing loss. On further examination, Jogesh was diagnosed with Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Deafness (ISSD). ISSD is a condition in which a person experiences complete hearing loss in mostly one of the ears, due to unknown reasons. However, when Jogesh visited Dr. Sohil, he was suffering from an infection in the left hand and thus, the IV steroid injection or Oral steroid tablets were ruled out as this would have been aggravated the infection in the hand and may lead to serious consequences in the arm. Therefore, Dr. Sohil Vadiya advised an injection through the eardrum, under the microscopic guidance, which is known as an intra tympanic steroid injection. The decision of injecting steroid into intra tympanic compartment would cause a localized effect in ear and not affect any other body part. This is fairly a new modality of treatment for such cases and if taken in time, it surely enhances the chances of recovery. Jogesh Patel, Patient said, “Initially, I was unable to even hear the loud calls of my family members. People had to shout at the top of their voice to make me hear. We were worried that losing hearing sense at the age of 25 years will end me up with a dark future. But, after the treatment, I’m able to hear voices at normal levels. Nobody can judge that I have had a hearing problem. I’m grateful to the HCG team for treating us well and supporting us throughout the treatment.“