Learn what the symptoms for sudden hearing loss are.

If you lose a significant amount of hearing ability in three days or less, you are bound to be terrified.

That is the definition of sudden hearing loss: it occurs in less than three days and often attacks without warning.

The loss may occur all at once and leave you mostly deaf, or it may come on gradually and result in a very slight amount of deafness that you might think you are imagining.

But this disease is not as harmless as tinnitus (ringing of the ears). The symptoms and signs associated with your particular type of hearing loss may give you a clue as to what caused it, thus helping your doctor to identify and treat the problem quickly.

Here are some sudden hearing loss symptoms to check for:

• Sudden hearing loss can result from trauma or bad blood circulation
• Gradual onset can point to serious causes, such as tumors in the head or neck area
• If the hearing loss occurs in conjunction with vertigo or tinnitus, it may be a nerve issue
• Hearing loss in one ear is known as “unilateral,” while loss in both ears is “bilateral.” Unilateral hearing loss is most commonly associated with acoustic neuromas, conductive causes, and trauma.
• Ear infections may cause momentary loss but are usually fixable. They typically cause a fever and severe inner ear pain. Other causes of such pain may be from trauma or canal obstruction.

If these sudden hearing loss symptoms are severe or sustained, they may require the immediate attention of a doctor. Other issues that are sometimes associated with the possibility of sudden hearing loss include a foreign body in the ear canal, extreme pressure changes (such as with flying or diving), severe head and neck trauma, blood or excessive fluid leaking from the ear, and a fever that does not respond to anti-inflammatory drugs such as Tylenol.

If you are manifesting these signs it is imperative that you seek medical attention immediately. The doctor will employ a number of techniques to ascertain the causes and severity of your symptoms, from testing your hearing with a tuning fork to running a CT brain scan if necessary.

These investigative measures can be key in early diagnosis and/or preventing loss of hearing.

So be sure to know and analyze any sudden hearing loss symptoms you may be exhibiting so that your sudden hearing loss, if and when it comes, doesn’t have to be permanent.