@miskipper and @ terrymassie1945 Also to anyone else who has experienced sudden sensorineural hearing loss: Losing hearing during or after a flight has happened to others whom I know personally. It is not common, but it does happen. The unfortunate reality is that steroid treatment rarely works unless it is given within a few days of the problem. It worth a try, but not a guarantee. Regardless of how sensorineural hearing loss happens; sudden or gradual, it is not reversable. Enter the world of hearing technology. Hearing aids have improved greatly over the years I've been using them. They provide significant help but are not perfect. Hearing assistive technology that works with hearing aids can enhance their capabilities considerably. That means using telecoils or BlueTooth, both are important as they do not do the same things.

Cochlear implants go many steps further than hearing aids. Just a few years ago, candidacy for cochlear implants was narrow. That has changed with the advancements in the surgery and also in the technology. If you find that hearing aids don't help enough and that your hearing loss is keeping you from enjoying life, it may be time to ask about cochlear implants.

Don't be surprised if your audiologist or ENT doesn't suggest them. However, if your audiogram is showing severe/profound hearing loss and you can't hear in social settings you've always enjoyed, or in theaters and meetings, etc. Push it. Best thing to do, if possible, is go to a CI center and let them test you and make a recommendation. CI surgery is not standard among ENT practitioners. It requires a specialty. You can find more information about cochlear implants in general on the website of the American Cochlear Implant Alliance. http://www.acialliance.org