#sensorineural deafness

Sensorineural Deafness: Understanding Causes and Solutions

Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is a common form of hearing impairment, originating from issues within the cochlea (the sense organ) and extending to the acoustic nerve and beyond. Causes of SNHL vary:

Congenital Causes: Some babies are born deaf due to factors like genetic history, antenatal illness, or medication during pregnancy. Universal Neonatal Screening helps detect hearing loss in newborns for early intervention, often through cochlear implantation.

Trauma: Head injuries causing bleeding from the ear can lead to SNHL.

Infections: Viral or bacterial infections, including middle ear infections, may result in hearing loss. Repeated infections can cause toxins to affect the inner ear.

Sudden SNHL: Sudden, unexplained hearing loss in one ear can be idiopathic or related to vascular or viral factors.

Noise Exposure: Increasing environmental noise, such as at music festivals or DJ parties, can harm hearing.

Medications: Certain drugs, like Streptomycin or anti-cancer medications, may have hearing loss as a side effect.

Diagnosis: Diagnosis includes ENT examination, audiogram tests, imaging (MRI or CT scans in some cases), and other relevant evaluations.