Sudden deafness (tinnitus)

The sudden deafness is characterized by sudden decrease of hearing function and would reach its climax about 1-2 days until complete hearing loss. It happens in one side (unilateral) mostly, is a type of (sense) nervous deafness which is caused by systemic or local factor. Minority cases is accompanied by dizziness.[Clinical signs]1.Hearing loss: significant decrease of hearing function (unilateral mostly), most of the patients is accompanied by murmurs in the ears (tinnitus), some may have dullness, swelling and blockade sensation in the ear.2. Causative factor: most patients have no significant pathological cause, many occurs during sleep, sense of murmurs in the ear and of deaf after wake up. Some patients has obvious general weakness, emotional overstimulated, anxiety and history of flu; all these are related to the pathological factors in certain degree.3. Dizziness: some patients may have hearing loss along with dizziness simultaneously, may accompanied by nausea and vomitting; in many cases, there is decrease of dizziness about 1-2 weeks of disease while murmurs in the ears and hearing loss do not improve; it is more difficult to recover for those patients that accompanied by dizziness. [Diagnosis]1.Significant decrease of hearing function, usually unilaterally, along with dizziness, examination by electrical response audiometry will yield sensible deafness.2. Differential diagnostic: it is easy to diagnose pure sudden deafness according to its symptoms- sudden attack, significant decreased of hearing function, mostly unilateral, therefore, it is not confused with other deafness; but if it is accompanied by dizziness, it may have many possibilities, at this time, it is necessary to send the patient to hospital to be diagnosed in time because other instruments are needed to distinguish the reason of deafness.[Treatment]If the patients has no significant decrease of hearing functions and their symptoms are not severe, they can treat it at home after doctor s inspection; but if vice versa and along with dizziness, then one need to be hospitalized.1. Western medicine treatment: mostly uses intravenous medication combined with intramuscular injection therapy, may also use infusion of vasodilator and glucose solution with vitamin B1, B2 intramuscular injections. Or assist by acupunture medical treatment such as rhizome of Ligusticum, salvia miltiorrhiza compound injection, Chinese angelica infusion and so on.2.Traditional chinese medicine (TCM): TCM thought that this disease is due to stagnant of Qi and formation of bruise, the route of ear is blocked by bruise and resulted in impairment ascending of clear Yang Qi (Yang energy) to er qiao (part of ear), thus decreasing of normal physiological function of the ear-- appearance of murmurs in ears, deafness and so on. Treatment method: invigorates the blood, eliminating bruise and route clearing. [Clinical treatment result] There were 980 cases adopted TCM; 790 cases recovered completely (increased of hearing capacity to normal or nearly normal, disappearance of ear murmurs), 110 cases shown effectiveness (hearing capacity more than 30dB or were in clear hearing zone) and 80 cases turned out better (hearing capacity increased about 15-30 dB).