Sudden loss of hearing

[supercatlady]

Husband (61) woke up Sat morning and said voices were sounding distorted - later he said his hearing had significantly deteriorated.
assumed congestion but antihistamines and decongestants had no impact and last night he called 111.
saw GP today who ruled out congestion or infection and did a non urgent ENT referral and advised he get hearing aids checked. Boots recommended A&E so he went there.
he has been prescribed steroids and goes back next week for a full hearing test.
anyone had similar?

Very interested in any answers you get to this as my dad (early 70s) has just had this happen as well, and like your DH, is currently on a course of steroids. He is apparently referred for a scan, but doesn’t know what sort.

The doctors seemed a bit concerned that it had come on so suddenly and completely (in one ear, and only partial in the other.)

if anyone else has experienced it, do you think it might be a weird outlier-covid symptom? He’s had no other symptoms that would indicate it, it just seems an odd thing for two people to have.

I had this about 2 1/2 years ago, so pre-Covid. Just out of the blue. If you research it, you'll find that doctors don't always know for sure what could cause it but suspect it's viral damage to the auditory nerve so, I suppose, that could now include Covid? Treatment (within 24/48 hours) is high dose steroids and, sometimes, a steroid injection directly through the ear drum. Sometimes the hearing comes back (mine did after about 6 months) and sometimes it doesn't. They don't really know if the steroids make any difference to whether it comes back but it'd be unethical to not give them. You should be offered an MRI and/or CT scan to rule out anything sinister.

Thank you.
He’s to go back next Tuesday for a full hearing test and an ENT appointment.
We all had COVID in January.
He initially thought it was bilateral but is now thinking it’s his “better ear” that’s affected which is rendering him very hard of hearing overall.

I have had this twice, unilateral, and the same side. The first time was many years ago and no treatment except watch and wait. I sustained a partial hearing loss and tinnitus. The second time the guidelines has changed, I was sent straight to hospital for a hearing test, I had the steroids and hearing was restored back to my baseline within a couple of weeks.

If it is unilateral make this very clear. Probably there will be an MRI ordered to understand and check that there is no tumour.

Quick update - steroids finish today (he had a tapering 7 day course) - since Thurs he’s felt his hearing has improved. Hopefully that’s a good sign that it’s not anything nasty.

I had a similar thing and after ENT and hearing aids they discovered I needed a root canal which had curiously not been causing me any pain or other symptoms. Now sorted but the dentist was the one that identified the problem and not the medics.

That’s interesting. His hearing is back to normal now but they gave him another course of steroids as the first dosage instructions were wrong. Been referred for a non urgent MRI but said most likely some sort of virus.