Diagnosed with Sudden Sensoneural Hearing Loss (SSHL)

I’ve had three bouts of SSHL, two on my left ear and one on my right. For me, the prednisone treatment did nothing, nor did direct injections into the middle ear. I have heard of the treatment you asked about, but that’s about all. Best luck if the prednisone does not work and if you decide to go for the alternative treatment.

@sdn1955 thanks for your reply - how long were you on the prednisone? 2 weeks at 60mg?

2 weeks at 60, then a week to taper. I believe the ear injections were over a two week period.

Please look up cochlear migraines. Condition described since about 2018 but ENT’s not seem to recognize this as true condition. I am an MD and my daughter has this. Public and MDs need to start becoming familiar with this scary life altering condition so it can be better treated. Migraine meds as well as multifactorial issues and treatments need to be addressed.

I looked it up through ChatGPT and learned this:
Cochlear migraine—often discussed as a variant or component of migrainous inner ear disorders—is a phenomenon where migraine-related mechanisms appear to affect the auditory system, leading to symptoms such as sudden hearing changes, tinnitus, ear fullness, or even fluctuating hearing loss.

What Is a Cochlear Migraine?

Although not as universally defined as vestibular migraine, cochlear migraine is used by some clinicians to describe cases where patients experience primarily auditory symptoms in conjunction with or as part of their migraine episodes. In this context, the “cochlear” part refers to the inner ear’s cochlea being affected by migraine-related processes, rather than—or in addition to—the more common headache and visual aura symptoms.

What Causes It?

The exact pathophysiology isn’t completely understood, but several factors are thought to contribute:

Neurovascular Dysregulation: Migraines are known to involve changes in blood flow. In cochlear migraine, similar vascular changes may affect the tiny blood vessels that supply the cochlea, leading to transient disruptions in its function.

Neuronal Hyperexcitability: Abnormal electrical activity in the brain during a migraine might extend to the auditory pathways, contributing to the auditory symptoms.

Triggers: As with other types of migraine, triggers can include stress, dehydration, certain foods (like chocolate, caffeine, or aged cheeses), hormonal fluctuations, and environmental factors. These factors may predispose susceptible individuals to experience migraine-related auditory symptoms.

What Helps It?

Management of cochlear migraine is often similar to that of other migraine types, with an emphasis on both acute treatment and preventive strategies:

Acute Treatments:

Pain Relievers and NSAIDs: For the headache component and associated discomfort.

Triptans: These can help if the migraine is recognized early.

Antiemetics: Useful if nausea is part of the picture.

Preventive and Lifestyle Measures:

Trigger Avoidance: Identifying and steering clear of personal triggers (dietary, environmental, or stress-related) can reduce frequency.

Prophylactic Medications: For patients with frequent episodes, medications such as beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, anticonvulsants (e.g., topiramate), or even certain antidepressants may be considered.

Lifestyle Modifications: Regular sleep, stress management, proper hydration, and a balanced diet play an important role.

Specialist Evaluation:

Because cochlear symptoms can also be seen in conditions like Meniere’s disease or other inner ear disorders, a thorough evaluation is crucial to ensure an accurate diagnosis.

In some cases, audiologic or vestibular testing may be recommended.

Summary

Cochlear migraine represents a less common manifestation of migraine, where the inner ear—the cochlea—is affected, leading to auditory symptoms. The underlying causes are believed to be linked to vascular and neuronal disturbances similar to those seen in typical migraines. Treatment involves a combination of acute therapies for migraine attacks, preventive medications, and lifestyle adjustments to minimize triggers. As always, a careful clinical assessment is essential to tailor treiatment for each individual and to rule out other potential causes of auditory symptoms.

This approach, blending both migraine management and specific auditory symptom treatment, aims to provide relief and improve overall quality of life for affected patients.

I lost hearing in one ear about 10 years ago. I had been vacationing on the east coast and had a virus (actually not sure if it was viral or bacterial though). When I was on the airplane traveling home both ears were driving me out of my mind when there was a change of altitude. The day after I returned home I was deaf in one ear. I was able to get in to an ENT but not for a couple of weeks. They tested the hearing in the ear and basically I had none. Over the next few weeks I was fitted for a hearing aid and another ENT Doc saw me approximately 3 - 4 weeks after I was seen by the first Doc. As an aside he mentioned that if he would seen me initially he would have given me an injection into the ear and, there would have been the possibility that my hearing would have returned but it was too late now. However he suggested I get on a strong prescription of prednisone immediately as it was worth a try. I finished the prescription and, no hearing returned. However, about a week later, I woke up and my hearing was back! The Docs could not explain what I had or why I got my hearing back but said "sometimes in medicine some things happen that cannot be explained"!

@mikead63 thanks for sharing your story and I am glad your hearing is back. I did get treatment right away and I just finish my 4th week of 60mg prednisone. I am in the weaning period. My next dr. Visit is this Tuesday and I am hoping that I get the intratympanic (TM) steroid injection in the right ear. Just recently my right ear audiology exam changed from profound hearing loss to moderate sever loss. I can’t hear words but every word sounds like a digitized sound in the ear, which at the onset I couldn’t hear anything.

Sorry you have to go through this. You were smart to be seen immediately. I thought my ear was just "plugged up" for a month before finally being sent to an ENT.

I lost my left-sided hearing when I sneezed hard 25 years ago, never got any back despite prednisone treatment. A BAHA helped greatly during the years I was working, but now I think they do cochlear implants instead of BAHA.

Interesting about "cochlear migraine"--I never heard of it, though I knew an association was suspected between hearing loss and migraine. My (sneeze-induced) hearing loss happened two months before I got my first ocular migraine (and thus found out I was a migraineur--never knew it before!). Don't know if it was coinkydink, but I had a bunch of other very weird symptoms that summer and fall. After a perilymph fistula was ruled out, the otoneurologist's best theory was an inner-ear stroke, which made sense, as my hearing never recovered at all.

Good luck--I hope you get a partial or full recovery. If not, most people can adjust as long as it's just one side. It's never been a big factor in my life, but it does depend on your job, hobbies, etc. I'd hate to be a musician and lose hearing.