Don’t ignore persistent unilateral tinnitus! Doctors urge you to be careful about "ear stroke" and miss the golden treatment period

Dr. Qiu Yibin from the Department of Neurology of National Taiwan University Branch in Hsinchu reminds that if sudden, unilateral and persistent tinnitus occurs, you should seek medical examination as soon as possible to seize the golden treatment period for ear stroke.

Many people have experienced tinnitus and often think it is caused by fatigue, stress or lack of sleep. Qiu Yibin, a neurologist at the National Taiwan University Branch in Hsinchu, reminds that if tinnitus appears suddenly and only occurs in one ear, or is even accompanied by symptoms such as hearing loss, ear congestion, or dizziness, it may be a warning sign of "sudden sensorineural hearing loss" (commonly known as ear stroke). If it is not treated in time, it may cause permanent hearing loss. You should seek medical treatment as soon as possible during the golden treatment period of 72 hours to 1 week after the onset of illness.

Ms. Liao, a 40-year-old office worker from Hsinchu area, suddenly developed persistent high-frequency tinnitus in her right ear one day. At first, I thought it was due to work stress and thought it would improve after a few days of rest. Unexpectedly, when I answered the phone a few days later, I found that the sounds heard in my right ear had become distant and blurred, accompanied by slight dizziness and ear stuffiness. After detailed examination, the doctor found that Ms. Liao had obvious sensorineural hearing loss in her right ear, and was diagnosed with sudden sensorineural hearing loss. Due to early medical treatment, she was immediately treated with high-dose oral steroids to suppress the inflammatory response of the auditory nerve and tissue edema. After 2 to 3 weeks of complete treatment and follow-up, the hearing has returned to normal levels and the tinnitus symptoms have gradually disappeared.

Qiu Yibin said that the causes of tinnitus are quite diverse, and common causes include emotional stress, sleep disorders, noise exposure and aging. Although most tinnitus does not threaten health, if sudden, unilateral, and persistent tinnitus occurs, you must be vigilant. This type of tinnitus is sometimes related to acute lesions of the auditory nerve or inner ear blood vessels. If treatment is delayed, it may cause irreversible hearing damage. For the treatment of sudden sensorineural hearing loss, steroid drugs are the main clinical treatment. The sooner you receive treatment, the higher the chance of hearing recovery.