Sudden sensorineural hearing loss posthypothyroidism: A case study

Abstract

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss is defined as a loss of at least 30 dB in three contiguous frequencies over a period of three days or less. In the present study a client with sudden hearing loss post hypothyroidism is discussed. A 56 year old client reported of awakening from sleep due to ear fullness along with severe tinnitus and experienced reduced hearing sensitivity in the right ear. The client had a history of hypothyroidism and was under medication for the same. The successive audiological investigations revealed that there was no improvement from prescribed medications, even with early identification and intervention. For better treatment outcomes correct identification of the cause as well as application of cause based treatment procedure is essential. Endocrine disorder is said to be one of the causes for sudden sensorineural hearing loss and one among this disorder is hypothyroidism. The present study aimed to throw a light on this aspect by giving a detailed case report of the client who suffered sudden sensorineural hearing loss which is suspected to be a long term effect of hypothyroidism.