Sensorineural hearing loss is a hearing loss that develops as a result of disruption of the neurosensory structures of the auditory analyzer. Sensorineural hearing loss is most common among older people. However, in recent years This disappointing diagnosis is increasingly being made to people of working age. This is due to the urbanization of the population and the constant noise pollution that we encounter every day at work and at home.
Causes
Several structures of the ear are responsible for the perception of sound and nervous system. The development of sensorineural hearing loss may be associated with damage to the following structures:
- Cochleae of the inner ear - epithelial receptor cells are located here, which are directly responsible for the perception of sound;
- Auditory nerve - transmits auditory impulses from the cochlea to the brain;
- Auditory centers located in the cerebral cortex are responsible for the perception of auditory impulses from the inner ear.
Sensorineural hearing loss can be congenital or acquired. In addition, acute and chronic forms of the disease are distinguished. Acute hearing loss is said to occur when the period of symptoms lasts up to one month. When the pathological process lasts for more than a month, we can already talk about chronic hearing loss. Separately, there is sudden sensorineural hearing loss, which rapidly develops literally in a matter of hours.
There are several reasons that can lead to the development of sensorineural hearing loss:
Symptoms and degrees of hearing loss
The main complaint expressed by patients with sensorineural hearing loss is decreased hearing in one or both ears. Hearing impairment may occur suddenly or develop gradually, with no tendency for periodic deterioration or improvement of hearing. Patients also complain of constant tinnitus -. In order to assess the severity of the pathological process and develop an appropriate treatment regimen, the doctor needs to determine the degree of hearing loss. So, there are four degrees of hearing loss:
- First degree (mild)- the hearing threshold increases to a level of 25-40 dB;
- Second degree (moderate)
- Second degree (moderate)- the hearing threshold increases to a level of 41-55 dB;
- Third degree (moderately severe)- the hearing threshold increases to a level of 56-70 dB;
- Fourth degree (severe)- the hearing threshold increases to a level of 71-90 dB;
- Deafness- more than 90 dB.
The term “hearing loss” means a partial decrease in hearing acuity. That is, sensorineural hearing loss is characterized by partial hearing loss, but further progression of the disease in the absence of treatment can lead to complete hearing loss - deafness.
It is worth noting that the vestibular part of the labyrinth may be involved in the pathological process. In this case, a person with sensorineural hearing loss may also be bothered by balance problems.
Diagnostics
When a person consults an otorhinolaryngologist with a complaint of hearing loss, it is first necessary to conduct hearing acuity tests. To diagnose sensorineural hearing loss, the following studies are carried out:
- Tuning fork tests;
- Pure-tone audiometry;
- Acoustic impedancemetry;
- Vestibulometry;
- According to indications: EchoEG, REG - to study the blood circulation of the brain, X-ray examination cervical spine spine.
By the way, anyone with a smartphone can test their hearing. Now there are many applications for Android and iOS, created like pure pure audiometry, which will help assess hearing acuity. This is not a professional diagnosis, however, poor results should be the reason for a full examination by an otolaryngologist.
Treatment of sensorineural hearing loss
With regard to sensorineural hearing loss, the statement is true - the earlier treatment is started, the greater the chance of maintaining hearing. Treatment should be focused on eliminating the underlying cause, after which pathogenetic therapy is initiated.
Drug treatment
Acute sensorineural hearing loss can be easily corrected with drug treatment . But such treatment methods, unfortunately, will be ineffective for chronic hearing loss. You need to understand that with a long-term pathological process, the sensitive epithelial cells that perceive sound die off and cannot be restored. At this stage, treatment aims to maintain hearing at the existing level and prevent further progression of the disease.
In general, the following medications are used in the treatment of sensorineural hearing loss:
Physiotherapeutic treatment
To enhance the effect of drug treatment, the patient is prescribed physical therapy. An absolutely accessible method is acupuncture, the essence of which is to influence active points with medical needles. The procedure is prescribed in a course of ten procedures.
Another method is hyperbaric oxygen therapy. During the procedure, the patient breathes a mixture of high oxygen content, which is supplied under pressure. The supply of oxygen improves microcirculation, including increasing blood supply to the cells of the inner ear. Course - 10 procedures.
Hearing aids
For chronic sensorineural hearing loss with hearing loss over 40 dB, when a person cannot distinguish speech, a hearing aid is selected. The device amplifies sounds and the patient can already hear speech addressed to him, can communicate normally and not feel uncomfortable.
For sensorineural hearing loss caused by damage to the organ of Corti, cochlear implantation is indicated. What is this technology? Human sounds and speech enter a small microphone, which is connected to an amplifier and processor, where the auditory signal is converted. The signals then enter the transmitter. This is the outer part of the device that is attached behind the ear. The signal then goes to a receiver embedded in the temporal bone.
From the receiver, the sound signal is transmitted through electrodes embedded in the cochlea of the inner ear near the auditory nerve. The electrodes stimulate a nerve that transmits nerve impulses to the appropriate centers in the brain that receive acoustic information. This technique allows you to compensate for hearing even with severe disease.
Grigorova Valeria, medical observer
Sensorineural hearing loss is a disease of the sound-receiving apparatus of the inner ear, which is accompanied by simultaneous damage to the auditory nerve. The pathology is characterized by a gradual deterioration of hearing and the appearance of extraneous noise. The development of this disease is possible at any age.
Functions of the hearing analyzer
From birth, a person is constantly surrounded by sounds of various natures. They report on all the processes taking place in the world. Sound travels continuously in the form of waves, which provoke the well-known auditory sensations. They are picked up by a paired auditory analyzer, in other words, by the ear. Loudness depends on the amplitude of the sound wave, and height depends on the frequency.
The human hearing organ consists of three parts: the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear. The first two are part of the sound conducting system. They are designed to capture wave vibrations and then transmit them to the inner ear. The latter is localized in the temporal bone. The internal part also has three components: the cochlea, its vestibular region and the semicircular canals. This is the sound-perceiving system of the auditory analyzer itself.
The anterior section is called the cochlea because of its unusual shape. It is completely filled with a liquid component, and inside there is a nervous apparatus (organ of Corti). It is covered with special hair cells. Perceiving auditory stimuli of various frequencies, they immediately convert them into an impulse and send them to the auditory nerve, or rather to the cortical center. The latter is located in the brain. Here the impulse is processed.
What is sensorineural hearing loss?
In order for the auditory analyzer to function fully, each of its components should work fine. Any violations entail the development of a serious pathology - hearing loss.
The nature of the disease is largely determined by the level at which the auditory analyzer is located. Every year, in many countries around the world, a large number of people with problems of this kind are identified. Despite the advances of modern medicine, their number is steadily growing. Approximately 6% of the population of our planet has pathological hearing impairment, which affects social adaptation and quality of life. A sharp or systematic decrease in hearing thresholds can appear at absolutely any age due to the action of various factors.
According to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), sensorineural hearing loss corresponds to code H90.3 - H90.5.
Causes of neurosensory disorders
Among the main factors in the development of this disease, the leading place belongs to infectious processes. The risk of hearing loss increases significantly in people exposed to viral illnesses (flu, mumps). In this matter great value assigned to the state of immunity. Weakened body defenses affect the severity of the disease and lead to the development of various types of complications, including the auditory system.
It is reported that between 13% and approximately 30% of patients previously diagnosed with meningitis suffer from hearing loss. Also, the well-known syphilis can lead to hearing loss.
Sensorineural hearing loss often develops against the background poor nutrition Central nervous system and hearing organs. Such conditions include pathologies cardiovascular system, atherosclerosis, thrombosis. Frequent stress is also a predisposing factor. To eliminate the likelihood of developing this disease, it is important to limit the negative impact of irritants, change your area of activity or even your lifestyle.
The cause of hearing loss can be a serious traumatic brain injury, or so-called acoustic trauma, when a sharp increase in pressure in the inner ear is recorded due to an excessively loud sound.
In some cases, sensorineural hearing loss develops due to constant exposure to toxic substances (chemicals, certain categories of medications). In some cases, hearing disappears for no apparent reason. Experts in this matter primarily suspect vascular disorders, but it is almost impossible to confirm this assumption instrumentally. In this case, the idiopathic variant of the disease is considered.
Risk factors for hearing loss include:
- Old age.
- Oncological pathologies.
- Otosclerosis.
- Congenital/acquired anomalies in the structure of the hearing aid.
Experts warn that obesity and diabetes also affect the incidence of this disease.
Classification of pathology
Depending on the type of course of the disease, there are three stages:
- Acute sensorineural hearing loss is diagnosed when hearing loss occurs in the last 4 weeks before the final diagnosis.
- The subacute stage is distinguished between one and three months.
- After the third month the disease becomes chronic.
At the first stage, the effectiveness of treatment measures ranges from 70 to 90%. In the case of a subacute course, the situation becomes somewhat more complicated, but the effectiveness of the therapy remains quite high (30-70%). Chronic sensorineural hearing loss is practically untreatable. Modern medicine, unfortunately, cannot offer such effective methods, which make it possible to compensate for disturbances in the sound-receiving organs.
The disease may be congenital. The anomaly is provoked by the mother's experiences during pregnancy. infectious diseases, various types of genetic abnormalities. The so-called fetal alcohol syndrome can also contribute to the development of hearing loss (64% of cases). A large percentage of hearing impairment at the congenital level is transmitted to close relatives, that is, hereditarily.
The acquired form, as a rule, occurs as a result of mechanical injuries and damage, taking certain groups of medications, and diseases of bacterial etiology.
What symptoms indicate pathology?
The clinical picture usually consists of two main symptoms: hearing loss and the simultaneous appearance of tinnitus of varying intensity and height (ringing, squeaking, whistling). Both unilateral and bilateral sensorineural hearing loss occurs. The latter often leads to decreased expressiveness of speech and isolation.
Further development of the disease is characterized by the addition of vestibular disorders (nausea, loss of balance, uncertainty when walking) and dizziness. The rapid development of pathology is observed within 12 hours. In this case, an almost complete absence of hearing is diagnosed. This variant of the disease is called sudden hearing loss. The main reason for its development is a viral infection. With timely treatment, the prognosis is favorable.
In the case of acute disease, symptoms increase gradually. It begins with the appearance of congestion in the ear, which periodically passes, but soon reappears. Primary symptoms also include constant noise, which intensifies as the disease progresses and does not disappear until stable hearing loss develops.
In chronic cases of hearing loss, the clinical picture is somewhat different. Hearing declines gradually, sometimes taking several years. Tinnitus does not disappear, that is, it persists constantly.
Degrees of sensorineural hearing loss
Hearing loss with this disease can be either minor or complete. Approximately 6% of the population suffers from this type of disorder. The disease predominantly develops in older people.
Grade 1 sensorineural hearing loss is defined as short-term hearing loss. The limits of audibility vary between 25-40 dB, whispers can be detected at a distance of up to three meters, and conversation - no further than six meters. In the second degree of the disease, normal speech is distinguishable at a distance of four meters, the sound threshold is no more than 40 dB.
When the hearing threshold is from 56 to approximately 70 dB and understanding a conversation at a distance of one meter, they speak of the third degree of hearing loss. Progressive hearing loss and the inability to distinguish speech further than 25 cm indicate the fourth stage of pathology, which corresponds to deafness.
According to available information, grade 2 sensorineural hearing loss is most often diagnosed in our country.
Diagnostic measures
The main diagnostic method is to assess the ability to perceive sounds of different volumes. An audiogram determines the degree of perception of these waves and helps determine the severity of the disease. This research method guarantees 100% accuracy of the final diagnosis.
The specialist may also order additional testing to identify the cause of hearing loss. It includes: neurological examination, impedance measurement, imaging methods to detect malignant neoplasms.
Drug therapy
A disease such as sensorineural hearing loss should not be ignored. Treatment must be immediate, as its effectiveness depends on this. Treatment tactics are determined solely by the cause of the disease. This is especially true for patients with an acute form of pathology, in whom it is still possible to change the nervous tissue.
In the case of the infectious nature of the disease, antibacterial or antiviral therapy is indicated. In case of a toxic form, it is first necessary to remove toxins from the body. For these purposes, Reopoliklyugin and Hemodez are prescribed.
If the cause of the disease cannot be determined, the disease is considered as hearing loss of vascular origin. In this case, patients are prescribed drugs to normalize blood circulation (Vinpocetine, Piracetam, Cerebrolysin). Patients are also prescribed Trimetazidine. The medicine has antihypoxic and cytoprotective effects.
Glucocorticosteroids are used quite successfully in the fight against diseases such as sensorineural hearing loss. Treatment is carried out locally, which reduces the risk of side effects and at the same time allows you to achieve maximum effectiveness from the drug used. Additionally, some patients are prescribed diuretics, as well as B vitamins.
Restoration of hearing in this disease, as a rule, occurs partially. Deafness is caused by the death of fibers that are no longer capable of regeneration. All therapeutic activities are planned to minimize harmful influence etiological factors and prevent the progression of the disease in the future.
Hearing aids
Sensorineural hearing loss of 3 degrees requires a different approach to treatment. In this case, hearing aids are most often used. Through special audiometric testing, the patient is individually selected for a device that significantly restores hearing.
To treat hearing loss, a special operation is used - cochlear implantation. The device performs the function of previously damaged hair cells, continuously providing electrical stimulation to the remaining auditory nerve fibers. This system includes a speech processor (outwardly resembling a hearing aid), a receiver (implanted subcutaneously) and chains of electrodes. A cochlear implant converts signals into electrical impulses and sends them to the auditory nerve. There are contraindications for such an operation, and after it a long recovery is required, the success of which depends on several factors.
Traditional methods of treatment
The condition of the auditory nerve, which takes part in conducting nerve impulses directly to the brain, can be improved independently in accessible ways at home. Even sensorineural hearing loss of the 2nd degree is amenable to such therapy. Of course, there is no talk of a complete cure for serious forms of the disease. Traditional medicine can only slightly reduce the symptoms of the disease.
First of all, it is recommended to eat part of the lemon along with the peel every day. You can also squeeze the juice out of two geranium leaves and very carefully drip it directly into your ear. Another option is to mix a small amount of propolis tincture with the most common vegetable oil, moisten a cotton pad with it and place it in your ear.
Preventive measures
The rules for preventing this pathology are very simple - you must try to avoid risk factors. It is recommended to promptly treat diseases of the upper respiratory tract, use medicines only as prescribed by a doctor. A separate risk group includes people working in toxic/noisy industries. They are usually diagnosed with occupational sensorineural hearing loss. In such cases, it is imperative to observe safety measures and work conditions (work with headphones, take breaks, etc.). When primary symptoms of the disease appear, it is better to change your occupation. If this is not possible, it is recommended to regularly see an otolaryngologist and take courses of preventive medications (Tanakan, Trental).
Hearing restoration- this is work on yourself, a set of training exercises aimed at restoring hearing. Hearing loss can be compared to the tip of an iceberg, down there under water - not healthy spine, internal organs, unstable emotional state, fear, depression, loneliness, etc.
So what is this magic technique which gives hearing restoration? After all, official medicine says that hearing cannot be cured??? The technique is based on self-healing techniques- what is it? A person does all this himself, restores his hearing and his health, work on himself.
Our famous cardiac surgeon, academician Amosov N.M. He said, “medicine can pull you out of serious illnesses, but a person must manage his health himself.”
You will say - nerve cells are not restored!!! Nerve cells are being restored - read the works of Academician N.P. Bekhtereva (headed the Brain Institute in St. Petersburg).
The main components of the “Hearing Restoration Course”.
1. Massage of biologically active points. The most effective and accessible points for hearing restoration have been selected.
2. Special massage of the ears to restore hearing.
3. Individual work - identifying and eliminating the causes of hearing loss.
4. Ear training using different types of sound.
5. Training and exercises to relieve tinnitus, congestion, and the feeling of a foreign body in the ears.
6. Techniques and exercises for working with the emotional state.
8. Restoring flexibility and mobility of the spine and joints.
9. Training in self-regulation techniques. How to always keep yourself in a state of emotional balance, how to manage your emotional state, how to relieve stress on your own without medications, how to move from a negative emotional state to a positive emotional state.
10. You will learn how to remove physical stress using exercises and self-regulation techniques.
11. We will help you restore your job internal organs and systems. We have special training exercises for training all organs and systems of the body (musculoskeletal, respiratory, endocrine, etc.).
12. Practicing effective gymnastics, with the help of which the mobility of the spine and joints is restored, the muscular corset of the spine is formed, and pain in the joints and spine goes away.
So what do we do in our groups?
The person must be treated as a whole, i.e. work with the emotional and physical state in our body. Everything is interconnected. What is happening in medicine - the person was taken apart - the heart is not healthy - the cardiologist, the kidneys - the nephrologist, etc.. The person was taken apart, there is no overall picture of health.
What prevents you from recovering from sensorineural hearing loss???
1. The sad experience of going to doctors and constantly hearing - the hearing is not being treated, the nerve cells are not being restored - you have to come to terms with it and live with it. Treatment is hearing aids or surgery. There is no chance to restore dead-end hearing.
2. Everyone wants to be healthy right away and now, and restoring hearing and health is working on yourself. People are not used to the fact that they need to work on themselves and take care of their health themselves. And to be independent and free from the weather, nature, or the doctor is a great joy.
3. And of course laziness - until it’s too much pressure, no one will take care of their health!!!
Course results!
Upon completion of the course, you will be able to communicate freely with any person, without digging in and not watching the reaction of the eyes, facial expressions in order to understand what the interlocutor is talking about. This is a common reaction for people who are hard of hearing.
The sound palette is restored: the sound of rain, the rustling of leaves, the singing of birds, conversations on the street, the many-sided noise of the city - it turns out that the city has many different sounds, and is not just humming and noisy.
The joy of communication returns with any person, the happiness of discovering a new world of sounds. In the device the sounds are distorted, without the device the sounds are bright, three-dimensional and this causes pleasure, since the sounds are no longer so harsh, but softer and iridescent.
Expanding your social circle is a source of great joy, since those who are hard of hearing are loners.
The joy of being heard returns when there is no need to repeat to everyone several times - “Please repeat the question.”
Freedom to choose your interlocutor appears- “I talk to whomever I want,” and not to the one who speaks clearly and loudly.
The quality of “fullness” is developed. It is no secret that those who are hard of hearing have many complexes, especially those whose hearing has been impaired since childhood.
There is an opportunity to “go out” - visiting the conservatory, theaters, cinema, exhibitions, etc.
Irritation goes away at yourself and at the world, and “why am I like this”?
Going improvement family relations . The person becomes warmer, kinder, lost internal connections are restored, the family becomes stronger.
Opportunities for self-realization are revealed- career growth, higher education, starting a family - new life goals are formed.
Greetings to all guests and regular visitors of the medical blog “”! Today we will learn what sensorineural hearing loss is and how to treat it at home.
The mechanism of development and causes of sensorineural hearing loss
● is expressed by the fact that sound vibrations are not converted into nerve impulses, which should transmit information to the brain.
The patient experiences not only distortion, but also a significant deterioration in sound perception. According to the results of clinical studies, a connection has been established between sensorineural hearing loss and long-term uncontrolled use of antibiotics, such as tobramycin, amikacin, streptomycin, gentamicin, paramomycin, kanamycin, netilmicin And neomycin.
● In addition to antibiotics, the hearing organs are affected by infectious diseases: measles, rubella, syphilis. Impaired blood circulation at the site of its location contributes to neuritis of the auditory nerve. Sensorineural hearing loss also develops due to age-related changes in the human body and after skull injuries.
● Unlike sensorineural hearing loss, conductive hearing loss is manifested by a violation of the conductivity of sound waves on the way from the outer ear to the eardrum, inner ear and auditory ossicles of the middle ear.
This pathology occurs in the presence of tumors, malformations, and inflammatory processes (in the ear canal). Infections of the nasopharynx and trauma can also cause hearing loss.
Earwax causes hearing loss, and after removing them, the patient returns to healthy hearing.
Conservative treatment of hearing loss
● Currently, hearing loss is mainly treated conservatively. Only in rare cases is it indicated surgery. The attending physician prescribes medications depending on the established cause of the disease. As a rule, treatment should be comprehensive.
For conductive hearing loss, the doctor removes an object that is blocking the passage of sound waves: wax plugs or swelling due to inflammation.
● The attending physician prescribes special medications and vitamins when the cause of hearing loss is poor circulation and nutrition of the auditory nerve.
Treatment helps improve blood flow and oxygen saturation of tissues. Sensorineural hearing loss is also characteristic of the head.
The noise in each individual case varies in intensity and tonality. In some patients it does not go away either at night or during the day, while in others it appears periodically. However, for both patients, the disease is painful, bringing a lot of inconvenience.
Traditional medicine recipes for the treatment of sensorineural hearing loss
● Let's start with the most famous effective recipe. Mix 10% pharmacy tincture with vegetable oil in a ratio of 1:3.
Moisten a gauze flagellum (turunda) in the resulting solution and insert it into the ear canal of the diseased ear for 10 hours. After two hours, insert a new flagellum.
The course of treatment is 15-20 procedures. After a one to two week break, you can continue treatment until a positive result appears.
● Juices from red rowan berries and. Soak the turunda in fresh juice and into the ear canal for 5-6 hours (preferably overnight). At first you will feel a tingling sensation, then a pleasant warmth.
Treat yourself with 15-20 procedures, after a month you can continue treatment. If you use frozen berries, heat the juice to 39-40˚C by placing a beaker of juice in a pan of hot water.
● Almond and almond oils will help you against wax plugs and inflammatory processes. Mix the oils equally and keep the moistened turunda for 6-8 hours (overnight). The course is thirty days, after a 10-day break, repeat until you get the effect.
● Good for hearing loss medicinal plants and herbs: leaves
Hearing loss is a pathology that is accompanied by hearing loss. It most often develops in older people, but sometimes affects younger patients. To minimize negative processes and stop the development of the anomaly, you need to start treatment for the disease on time. At the same time, good results can be achieved using traditional methods of treatment.
Causes of hearing loss
In some cases, only surgery will help achieve the desired effect. Therefore, before starting to use home recipes, you should consult a doctor.
Traditional medicine offers many effective remedies that can significantly improve hearing:
To cope with this, you should use products to improve blood circulation in the ear area. Drugs are also used to normalize the rheological characteristics of blood and metabolic processes in cells. The most effective compositions include the following:
- Baked onion drops. To do this, you need to take a small onion, peel it and make a hole. Place a small spoon of cumin in it. Bake the resulting product in the oven until it turns brown. Squeeze the cooled onion and inject the resulting juice into the ears, 3-4 drops. This should be done three times a day. This therapy should last a month.
- Garlic drops. To prepare them, you need to mix garlic juice with olive oil, and the proportion should be 1:10. Pour the prepared mixture into a glass container and shake to obtain a uniform consistency. Administer 2 drops twice a day. The course of therapy is 3 weeks.
Chinese gymnastics
Chinese scientists offer people who suffer from hearing loss to perform special exercises. The complex was named “Heavenly Drum”. To perform it you need to do the following movements:
- It’s good to cover your ears with your palms.
- Tap the back of your head with three fingers - this should be done 12 times. A sound resembling the beat of a drum will appear in your ears.
- Again, close your ears well and quickly remove your palms. This exercise must be performed 12 times.
- Place index fingers into the ears and twist clockwise. This must be done three times. The same number of movements are performed counterclockwise.
- Quickly get your fingers out.
The best effect after such treatment can be achieved in the morning. However, if there are indications, the complex can be performed even in case of severe fatigue.
Gymnastics to restore hearing in our video:
It is very problematic to completely cope with hearing loss using folk remedies. You can achieve improved hearing only with. If the disease is advanced, you should consult a doctor. After a thorough examination, the specialist will select treatment. Traditional methods It is permissible to use it as an addition to traditional therapy - this will help increase its effectiveness.
Hearing loss is a serious problem that can be progressive and significantly reduces quality of life. To improve the prognosis of the disease, you can use folk remedies. However, before using them, you should consult with an otolaryngologist.