Idiopathic hearing loss is defined as a sudden hearing loss occurring from unknown causes. Maybe sudden is too much said, as in fact it is a loss of minimum 30 dB within 72 hours or less, over minimum three frequencies. If affects men and women within the 30 – 60 years old age range and it can be accompanied by vertigo or tinnitus. Although it occurs suddenly, idiopathic hearing loss may pass unnoticed by the patient in milder cases. The hearing loss degree may differ from one person to another, it may include one or both ears and it can be either permanent or only temporary.

There are many cases when patients stated that their hearing went back to normal in less than one month without any medical treatment. Idiopathic means of unknown origin, yet doctors suspect it may be triggered by a series of conditions such as ototoxic medication exposure, vascular diseases, tumors, stroke, acoustic neuroma, otitis media or viral diseases like infectious mononucleosis, rubella, mumps, measles, or herpes. There are even scientific studies which try to establish a connection between progressive idiopathic hearing loss and genetic mutations in the DNA, but all they managed to demonstrate was the need for more studies on a larger number of persons affected by this type of hearing impairment.
Healthcare professionals are trying various treatments, amongst which, steroids are thought to be the most effective for this condition. Other treatments may include anti virals, vitamins, diuretics or oxygen therapy.

Anybody who wakes up in the morning and experiences a hearing loss, no matter how mild, should immediately schedule an appointment with a medical specialist in order to determine the cause of this condition and to discover if it’s something reversible or an idiopathic hearing loss which will hopefully get cured by itself.