Sudden hearing loss occurs in less than three days.

Its treatment is an expanding field and one that makes new discoveries constantly; currently there is no definitive cure.

Recent research indicates that vitamin E, taken in 400 mg doses twice a day, is a highly effective treatment.

However, most treatments for this disease tend to be highly controversial, because about 90% of all cases remain a complete mystery to doctors.

They are known as idiopathic cases; in other words, systematic and without apparent cause.

Conventional treatments are numerous and of varied effectiveness. Sudden hearing loss treatments available on the market can include measures such as oral steroids, a time-proven technique that can aid in partial recovery. In certain cases, it appears that a combination of steroids and antiviral medication achieves greater results than either method used on its own.

Vasodilatation is a form of therapy also commonly used. It involves the use of hormones, given orally or intravenously, to widen veins and increase blood flow. (Viagra is a famous example of a vasodilator.) In certain hearing loss cases, vasodilators can heighten the body’s natural immune system response.

Some doctors and researchers argue that the immune system is the only necessary form of sudden hearing loss treatment. They advocate the no-treatment option, where a patient is given plenty of rest and good nutrition and then left to his or her own devices.

In a study performed in 1977, this method was found to cause spontaneous recovery in two-thirds of participants. Certain proponents of this method argue that hasty medicinal treatment may tamper with the body’s natural ability to heal itself, and that if left alone, sudden hearing loss will disappear as quickly as it came. The effectiveness of the no-treatment method is difficult to prove and is still debated.

Hyperbaric oxygen treatments have been explored as a sudden hearing loss treatment, and results are currently inconclusive, but seem positive. Some studies have shown a slight increase in hearing ability after the patient was given high doses of oxygen and allowed to rest. But because oxygen treatment has factors that are difficult to control—for example, we all breathe oxygen every day, thus tampering with treatment results—making judgments based on this method is not yet reliable.

A study performed in 2008 points to large doses of prednisone taper combined with intratympanic dexamethasone as a possible solution. This avenue of research is still being investigated.

Essentially, the most promising recent research indicates that doses of vitamin E are the best for sudden hearing loss treatment. This powerful antioxidant has also been used to treat diabetes, and patients given vitamin E for sudden hearing loss reported a near-complete recovery.