Hearing is one of the five external senses that helps a person to better perceive the world around him. Sometimes, under the influence of certain factors, it worsens or disappears altogether. Hearing loss can be one of the signs of sensorineural hearing loss. We will talk about the symptoms and treatment of this disease in today's article.
Medical certificate
Cochlear neuritis is a disease of the inner ear caused by damage to the auditory nerve. The second name of the disease is sensorineural hearing loss. It is characterized by a violation of the perception of sounds due to the pathology of the hearing aid. As it progresses, the lower threshold of hearing rises, which does not rule out complete hearing loss. Often, hearing loss leads to a disability group.
It is prevalent mainly among the elderly. However, in recent years, such a diagnosis is increasingly heard by patients of working age. This is due to the urbanization of the population and the constant noise load that accompanies people onwork and at home.
A person may already be born with this pathology or begin to lose hearing in adulthood. Depending on the form of the disease, its causes also vary.
Congenital hearing loss
The main cause of the congenital form of sensorineural hearing loss are mutations in the genome. Scientists have discovered several genes that are responsible for hearing loss. In addition, pathology can be hereditary. It is diagnosed in each new generation or observed after 1-2 generations.
In the etiology of the disease, a certain role can be played by the underdevelopment of the elements of the cochlea in a child. The inner ear, along with the fibers of the auditory nerve, are formed in the fetus in the third trimester of pregnancy. These structures are especially sensitive at this stage to external and internal influences. An unbalanced diet, frequent stress and poor ecology can cause hearing impairment in a child.
Preterm birth increases the risk of hearing loss in a newborn by up to 5%. If during pregnancy a woman has been ill with rubella, the baby will most likely be born with a pathology of the auditory analyzer. Therefore, even at the planning stage, expectant mothers are recommended to be vaccinated against this virus.
Acquired disease
Cases of congenital sensorineural hearing loss are rare. As a rule, the disease develops in a person as he grows up. It may come on suddenly or gradually.
One of the causes of hearing loss doctors call acoustic trauma. It is commonly understood as a prolonged exposure of a person to noise with a power of more than 90 dB. Such an injury is easy to get, being near the speakers at a concert, working with a high sound background.
The most common cause of the acquired form of the disease is the use of various medications. Antibiotics, diuretics and drugs based on acetylsalicylic acid negatively affect the hearing aid. To avoid he alth problems, all medicines must be taken as prescribed by a doctor and at the recommended dosage.
Deterioration in the perception of sounds is often a consequence of previous diseases. These include mumps, measles, rubella, syphilis and herpes. Purulent processes that accompany most of these ailments are often localized in the area of auditory analyzers. In the case of progression of the pathology, inflammation can spread to the cochlear area, provoking sensorineural hearing loss. In order to avoid such complications, doctors advise to treat all diseases in a timely and competent manner, and periodically engage in their prevention.
Clinical picture
To prevent the development of the disease, you need to know its initial signs. The symptoms of sensorineural hearing loss can vary from person to person. The beginning of the pathological process is always accompanied by hearing loss and the appearance of various noises in the ears (for example, whistling or ringing). Otherwisethe clinical picture depends on the form of the disease. There are four of them: sudden, acute, progressive and chronic.
The first is considered the most favorable. It develops within a day due to an infectious disease of viral or bacterial etiology. Against the background of full he alth, there is an instant hearing loss.
Acute cochlear neuritis develops sequentially and lasts no more than a month. Patients first complain of a feeling of stuffiness in the ear, which periodically disappears. Subsequently, hearing loss becomes permanent. The acute variant of the disease can become chronic.
Progressive form is characterized by further hearing loss against the background of already present hearing loss. As a result, the pathology ends with complete deafness. For chronic hearing loss is characterized by a long course. Stages of intense attacks are smoothly replaced by stages of remission. Over time, the periods of exacerbations become longer and longer.
Sometimes the clinical picture is supplemented by vestibular disorders. These include loss of balance and nausea, dizziness. These symptoms are usually aggravated by turning the head or a sudden change in body position.
Depending on the location of the pathology, it can be unilateral or bilateral. In the first case, the symptoms of the disease appear only in one ear, and in the second - simultaneously in two. The intensity of the injury may vary. With bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, the emotional coloring of the patient's speech disappears. Suchpeople are unsociable and socially disoriented.
Diagnostic Methods
In case of hearing loss and extraneous noises in the ears, you should consult an otolaryngologist for help. Initially, the specialist listens to the patient's complaints, can ask a number of clarifying questions: when did the symptoms of the disorder appear, what diseases preceded it, etc.
Sensory hearing loss is not manifested by violations of the integrity of the ear and its key structures. Therefore, the following examination methods are used to confirm the preliminary diagnosis:
- Impedancemetry.
- Tuning-fork study.
- Determination of the state of the vestibular analyzer.
- Finger to finger test.
Additionally, the patient is assigned audiometry. This is the most informative diagnostic method with which you can determine the degree of sensorineural hearing loss. The threshold of hearing - the minimum intensity of sound that the ear picks up, determines the 4 stages of the development of the disease. The hearing threshold of a he althy person varies between 20-25 dB.
For sensorineural hearing loss 1 degree is characterized by a slight hearing loss. The hearing threshold is 40 dB. In the absence of extraneous sounds, a person can hear well at a distance of several meters. However, in a noisy room, he barely distinguishes the conversations of people standing nearby. The danger of this degree of the disease is that a person does not notice hearing loss. So he doesn't go to the doctor thoughpathology at the initial stage lends itself well to drug therapy.
For hearing loss of 2 degrees, the hearing threshold is already 55 dB. Patients are not able to hear a whisper at a distance of a meter. The third degree is recognized as a severe form of pathology. The hearing threshold in this case is 70 dB. Deafness of the 4th degree often develops into deafness. The threshold of hearing exceeds 70 dB. It is difficult for the patient to perceive even loud sounds.
Principles of treatment
After confirming the diagnosis and determining the cause of the disease, the doctor selects the therapy for the patient. It is individual for each patient. However, there are general recommendations that are very important to follow:
- complete cessation of smoking and drinking;
- compliance with bed rest;
- changing the habitual diet towards proper nutrition.
Treatment of sensorineural hearing loss is carried out only in a hospital. It is not recommended to try to overcome the disease on your own, because in this case you can only harm your he alth. Depending on the form of the pathology and its stage, therapy will be medical or surgical in nature. Each method of influencing the problem is described in detail below.
Medication use
Acute sensorineural hearing loss responds well to drug treatment. The choice of specific drugs depends on the cause of the pathology. For example, in the case of an infectious etiology of the disease, antibacterial and antiviral agents are prescribed.("Interferon", "Remantadin").
If the exact cause of the disease cannot be identified, it is considered as hearing loss of vascular origin. Therefore, drugs are used for treatment that improve the blood supply to the inner ear and normalize the rheological properties of the blood. For this purpose, the following medicines have proven themselves well: Vinpocetine, Cerebrolysin, Piracetam. The course of treatment is usually 10 to 14 days. The drugs are usually given in higher doses intramuscularly or intravenously.
Hormonal agents are used to reduce inflammation in the affected area. To eliminate puffiness, diuretics are prescribed. In addition to the main course of therapy, drugs are always prescribed to reduce the body's resistance to disease. This group includes vitamins B and E, various trace elements.
Features of physiotherapy
For mild hearing loss and in addition to drug therapy, the following physiotherapy is used:
- acupuncture;
- acupuncture;
- magnetotherapy;
- phonoelectrophoresis.
Physiotherapy is not an independent method of treatment, but helps the patient cope with the unpleasant manifestations of the pathology.
Hearing Aids
Specific treatment of chronic hearing loss usually does not make sense. Irreversible destructive processes in the inner ear cannot be stopped with medication. Therefore, surgical intervention is recommended for patients. It is about the operationhearing care.
It involves the implantation of a cochlear device, which is designed to perform all the functions of a he althy ear. Its mechanism of action is to transmit sound signals to neurons. This device is equipped with a microphone and a receiver.
Prosthetics can be unilateral or bilateral. If the patient has a disability due to hearing loss, such a device can be obtained free of charge.
Prognosis for recovery
According to reviews, sensorineural hearing loss has a favorable prognosis for recovery if its treatment is started at the initial stages of development. Hearing loss in the elderly is difficult to treat. Therefore, hearing aids are indicated for such patients.
