@mdmorell Your experience is generating interest for several reasons. One being that Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSHL) is not uncommon, but those who experience it have different stories. You say you were traveling. Were you flying? I know several people who experienced SSHL after flying. Years ago, I was told to take antihistamines an hour before boarding a flight. I already had hearing loss, so that advice came from hearing healthcare professionals and other people I knew who had experiences similar to yours.

Up until 1988 when the National Institutes of Health established an institution within to focus on communication disorders, very little research was done in this area. Consequently, it remains relatively new in the medical profession. But there is no excuse for PCPs not to know that when a patient presents with SSHL, immediate treatment is vital. Reality is, they don't seem to get training in this area. They rarely even ask patients about their hearing at annual physicals. I'm venting here a little bit because I feel this is inexcusable.

Emergency room doctors also need to understand this is a problem that merits urgent attention. Steroids will only work if given quickly after the SSHL happens. It's next to impossible to get that treatment because the model for care begins long before treatment by a specialist occurs.

It is unlikely that steroid treatment will have a positive effect when received 10 days after SSHL occurs. It is possible that this could happen to the other ear in the future. The positive side is that you now know it needs immediate treatment. And, you know that protecting the hearing you have is important.

Cochlear implants are an option. Recent research shows that people with SSHL benefit and 'the rules' now allow for insurance coverage for them in this situation.

I always encourage people to join The Hearing Loss Association of America. (HLAA). Why? Because HLAA is the only organization that provides a strong voice for people with hearing loss who wish to remain in the hearing mainstream. We need to let the world know that hearing is important! HLAA recognizes the voids in the system. That includes more education for PCPs and ERPs on situations like yours. It also includes the lack of insurance and Medicare coverage for hearing aids along with the need for people who lose hearing as adults to find answers and be able to talk about it. HLAA is working on all these issues but needs more support from the patients who want to see change. http://www.hearingloss.org

I have never heard of a vibrating instrument used in the ear canal, but it sounds a bit scary. Did it help at all? Did you ask an ENT about it?

Please share more of your story when you can.