Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss - SSNHL

Overview

A practical and academic approach to sudden sensorineural hearing loss as a true otologic emergency. This is not a transient “blocked ear” complaint until proven otherwise. The patient may arrive thinking they have wax, a cold, or ear pressure, while the therapeutic window for hearing rescue is already narrowing. The rule that should guide the on-call shift is simple: rapidly separate conductive from sensorineural loss, do not wait for imaging before starting treatment when clinical suspicion is high, document hearing urgently with audiometry, and arrange MRI/IAC later to exclude retrocochlear pathology.