Steroid treatment for sudden hearing loss- an analysis!
by admin ~ May 11th, 2009.
When hearing about sudden hearing impairment, the most obvious treatment that enters our mind is the steroid treatment which happens to be one of the most common as well as effective remedies for it. However the research results reveal limited scientific evidences which support this therapy, the most prominent one being the review and meta analysis published in the Archives of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery.
People should know that when sudden hearing loss occurs, it causes great amount of hearing impairment which involves a loss of upto 30 decibels of hearing over at least three test frequencies in three days. This has been clearly stated in the background information of the article along with the fact that hearing impairment affects five to 20 of every 100,000 individuals every single year.
From news-medical.net:
Although steroids are the most widely used treatment for sudden hearing loss, little scientific evidence supports their use or that of any other therapies for this condition, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis both published in the June issue of Archives of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery.
For the systematic review, 21 trials were identified and evaluated, all of which used measures from hearing tests to define treatment outcomes. “Only two studies used identical criteria to define sudden sensorineural hearing loss,” the authors write. “The method of randomization was described in two studies. Validity scores ranged from two to eight (of nine). Positive results were reported favoring systemic steroids, intratympanic [inside the inner ear] steroids, batroxobin, magnesium, vitamin E and hyperbaric oxygen, although there were serious limitations in each study with a positive finding.”
The treatment for the hearing loss varies immensely and basically involves the dosage of antiviral medications, vitamins, minerals, herbs, hyperbaric oxygen and agents that help in dilution of the blood in the body. Apart from this, the authors have also written that some otolaryngologists choose not to treat sudden sensorineural hearing loss at all because in most of the cases there are spontaneous recovery rates of up to 32 to 70 percent which is indeed great news.
However, in North America the most common and popular treatment regarding sudden sensorineural hearing loss is the intake of systemic steroids. Some authors have also went on to say that it can be prescribed as the gold standard of treatment for patients suffering from hearing impairment.
Category: Anabolic Steroids | Tags: hearing loss, steroids, steroids for hearing loss, treatment for hearing loss