Someone who posted on this forum a few months ago was able to recover his sudden hearing loss by going on an extreme anti-inflammatory diet/exercise regimen. He did it on his own initiative, not by doctors’ recommendation, having deduced correctly that the loss of hearing was due to inflammation of his cochlea. In private correspondence he told me he knew that steroids fight inflammation, and his hearing came back after a steroid injection (which he had known to get promptly). But it faded again in a couple of days. The doctor wanted to continue giving steroid injections. Patient, age 47, decided to try to reduce the inflammation by dietary means. It was tough but he claimed it was successful, and showed me his hearing tests reflecting his recovery. Doctor was not part of this success at all. I don’t know if such extreme lifestyle change is possible for everyone to follow, but shouldn’t it at least be presented as an option?

In general, as I educate myself about hearing loss I’m increasingly disappointed and frustrated that what passes as patient care for hearing loss is so minimal. For example, I never got counseling from any hearing practitioner in 20+ years of treatment that sudden hearing loss must be treated *immediately*— like within hours. Lifestyle, diet, and audio rehabilitation have been absent from any treatment discussion I’ve ever had with a hearing-care professional.

Your post also raises the issue that appointment-making medical assistants have not been adequately trained to recognize an emergency and schedule appropriately for sudden loss. Very concerning. This is your life they are playing around with!

ENTs and audiologists really need to do better.