In large cities, as a result of exposure to strong background noise on the hearing aid, many people are diagnosed with neuritis of the auditory nerve, which leads to atrophic and degenerative changes in the cells of the sound-perceiving apparatus, and, as a result, to hearing loss, the appearance of imaginary tinnitus, unintelligibility of speech. This phenomenon occurs in 6% of cases worldwide, most often affects men over 55 years of age. But older people usually do not go to the doctor, as they believe that this is a consequence of the age characteristics of the body. But neuritis often leads to complete hearing loss, which significantly reduces the patient's quality of life.
Description of pathology
Acoustic neuritis is a disease in which an inflammatory process develops in the nerve that provides the function of hearing. The auditory nerve is located in the inner ear, it transmits sound impulses to the brain and signals that come from the vestibular apparatus, which is also localized in the inner ear. Nerve damage causes hearing loss, dizziness, nausea, and disorientation in space.
The auditory nerve originates from fibrous cells, which are antennas that pick up sound vibrations, convert their electrical signals and transmit them to the nerve itself. Therefore, neuritis of the auditory nerve also affects the hair cells and nerve centers in the brain. Treatment, reviews of which are good among physicians with timely treatment of the patient to a medical institution, should be aimed at stopping the pathological process, since when hair cells die, they never recover, so hearing acuity is significantly reduced. In the absence of therapy, the disease provokes the development of complete deafness. This pathology can affect both one and both ears.
Causes of disease
Causes of acoustic neuritis can be different. Often the disease can provoke any infection in the head and neck. Often, the pathology develops due to influenza, SARS, meningitis, mumps, and rubella.
Also, the causes of the development of the disease are:
- Long-term exposure of the auditory nerve to toxins and harmful substances, drugs, alcohol and nicotine, mercury, heavy metals. Such substances contribute to the development of inflammation of the auditory nerve.
- Injuries and injuries of the head, which contribute to circulatory disorders, the development of swelling, microscopic hemorrhages from the cerebral arteries. When the vessels that feed the nerve are damaged, neuritis develops. Also, the auditory nerve can become inflamed due to damage by bone fragments, infection during an injury.
- Age-related changes. In this case, the development of the disease is associated with hypertension, circulatory disorders in the brain, changes in the hearing aid, as well as a stroke.
- Professional activity. Acoustic neuritis often develops in people who are constantly in conditions of increased noise, vibration. Often the disease appears as a result of acoustic trauma (exposure to loud sound on the hearing organs), for example, with a whistle, a shot.
- Allergic reactions, sudden pressure drop.
- Benign or malignant tumors.
Symptoms and signs of illness
Usually, with neuritis of the auditory nerve, symptoms do not appear immediately, as it is characterized by a slow course. The main signs of the disease include:
- Hearing loss due to inflammation of the auditory nerve. Such a phenomenon can have a different degree of manifestation, in some cases there is a complete loss of hearing. Hearing loss occurs gradually, so if you see a doctor in time, you can prevent the development of negative consequences.
- Presence of noise or ringing in the ears regardless of external factors. This phenomenon is constantly observed in humans, but with complete hearing loss it disappears.
- Severe pain in the ears due to mechanical damage as a result of trauma.
- Increaseblood pressure, the appearance of dots before the eyes indicates a violation of the vessels of the brain.
- Nausea, incoordination, dizziness, headache appear when the cochlear nerve is involved in the pathological process, which transmits signals to the brain from the vestibular apparatus.
- Weakness, discoloration of the skin develops with acute intoxication.
- Cough, increased body temperature in infectious diseases.
- Reduced speech intelligibility, feeling of fullness in the ear.
Other signs of the disease will depend on the course of inflammatory and degenerative processes.
Degrees of development of pathology
In medicine, neuritis of the auditory nerve has several degrees of development:
- First degree, at which a person can hear a whisper at a distance of three meters, and conversational speech at a distance of six meters.
- Second degree, in which a person can hear a whisper at a distance of one meter, and conversational speech at a distance of four meters.
- Third degree, when a person cannot hear a whisper, but hears conversational speech at a distance of one meter.
- The fourth degree of pathology, when a person can only distinguish some sounds.
- The fifth degree is characterized by complete deafness.
Diagnostic measures
Before prescribing treatment for acoustic neuritis, the doctor must diagnose and make an accurate diagnosis. Researchshould be aimed at establishing the causes of the development of the disease, determining the degree of hearing impairment. To do this, the doctor prescribes the following diagnostic methods:
- Otoscopic examination to examine the organ of hearing with an endoscope that is inserted into the ear cavity.
- Rinne test to establish conductive or sensorineural deafness.
- Test using whispering and speaking to determine the degree of development of the disease.
- Weber's test for differentiating hearing loss due to damage to the sound-conducting or sound-perceiving apparatus.
- Schwabach and Gellet test to determine hearing loss using tuning forks.
Also, an otolaryngologist differentiates neuritis from a disease such as otosclerosis.
Thus, to make a final diagnosis, audiological studies are carried out to determine the nature of the hearing loss, to determine the threshold for hearing sounds of different frequencies.
Pathology Therapy
Usually, acoustic neuritis treatment involves a complex, which will depend on the cause of the disease. In the presence of bacterial and viral diseases that lead to hearing loss, antibacterial drugs are prescribed. Their choice depends on the results of bacteriological culture, which will show the presence of sensitivity of bacteria to antibiotics. To reduce the effect of toxins on the auditory nerve, the doctor prescribes vitamin complexes, prescribes plenty of fluids and rest, good nutrition.
For chronicintoxication with various substances, neuritis of the auditory nerve, treatment involves a long one. The doctor prescribes special antidotes that will remove toxins from the body, drugs aimed at eliminating the symptoms of poisoning, as well as physiotherapy, mud therapy, mineral baths, and so on.
If a patient has been diagnosed with acute poisoning, he is given first aid, and then sent to a hospital where antidotes, symptomatic therapy, and vitamins are prescribed. In severe cases, resuscitation may be required.
In case of injuries and injuries of the skull, it is urgent to contact a medical institution in order to prevent the development of neuritis and other complications. Before treating acoustic neuritis, the doctor performs an X-ray of the skull, encephalography. Then painkillers, medicines are prescribed, which contribute to the normalization of blood circulation in the brain, diuretics to relieve swelling, vitamin and mineral complexes.
When the auditory nerve is damaged as a result of professional activity, it is necessary to exclude the cause of the development of the pathology. In this case, a person must change the situation. As a therapy, the doctor prescribes adaptogens, vitamins. Physiotherapy is also prescribed, in particular electrophoresis, balneotherapy, mud therapy and radon baths to eliminate inflammation in nerve fibers, magnetotherapy and acupuncture to relieve pain. Such patients should undergo therapy twice a year. With complete hearing loss, prosthetics are performed.
IfAcoustic neuritis, the symptoms and treatment of which are now being considered, arose as a result of acoustic trauma, the patient is prescribed painkillers and sedatives, antibiotics and antiseptics to eliminate infection in the ear, vitamins, adaptogens, as well as drugs that normalize blood circulation in small vessels and the functionality of the nervous system.
With age-related changes, neuritis is difficult to treat. In this case, the patient is prescribed medications that he will have to take for the rest of his life. These include drugs to normalize blood pressure, reduce the concentration of glucose and cholesterol in the blood, as well as blood clotting, normalize blood flow in the vessels of the brain, vitamins and biological supplements. Also, such patients are recommended to undergo spa treatment, physiotherapy.
Acute neuritis of the auditory nerve (reviews about this pathological process without medical treatment are only negative) can be fatal. In this case, the person must be urgently hospitalized. He is prescribed drugs aimed at improving blood circulation and metabolism in the brain, diuretics, anticonvulsants and detoxification agents. The patient must follow a special diet that includes fluid restriction.
Acoustic neuritis: folk remedies
This disease in the absence of effective and timely treatment leads to complete hearing loss. Doctors recommend that you immediately contactmedical institution when the first symptoms of the disease appear. Doctors say that with neuritis of the auditory nerve, treatment with folk remedies should not be used as the main one. Traditional medicine can only be used as an additional therapy to reduce the manifestations of the disease. Self-medication in this case is strictly prohibited, so it is necessary to consult a doctor about the use of certain medicinal plants. Otherwise, there is a risk of complications and negative consequences that may be irreversible when the treatment of acoustic neuritis with folk remedies is used.
Restoration of hearing
With a long course of the disease, hearing usually cannot be returned. In this case, it is possible to wear a hearing aid or use a cochlear implant. To prevent further hearing loss, it is recommended to periodically take courses of therapy, which includes the use of diaphoretic and diuretic drugs, vitamins, biostimulants, and means to normalize blood circulation.
After conducting audiometry to determine the degree of development of the pathology, the doctor determines the possibility of wearing a hearing aid. An important point in this case is the correct choice and configuration of the device. They can be behind the ear or in the ear.
For severe hearing loss, cochlear implantation is used. It consists of a string of electrodes, a receiver, a speech processor and a battery compartment. The doctor performs an operationimplant placement, the patient is then taught how to live with the device and what complications may arise.
Disease prognosis
Prognosis depends on the stage of the disease and how timely treatment was started. With TBI, infections and poisoning, the prognosis is usually favorable, deafness is observed only in the absence of therapy. In chronic pathologies, the prognosis is often unfavorable. With age-related changes, it is only possible to stop the pathological process, but it is not possible to cure the patient completely.
Prevention
For the purpose of prevention, it is recommended to eliminate negative factors that can trigger the development of the disease. Doctors recommend promptly treating infectious and viral diseases, eliminating addictions, contact with toxins and harmful substances, not using antibacterial drugs for a long time, and periodically undergoing an examination by an otolaryngologist, especially for people over the age of 55. In the presence of harmful working conditions, it is necessary to use personal protective equipment. Compliance with all the recommendations and prescriptions of a doctor helps to reduce the risk of developing serious complications that can cause disability.
