Acute hearing loss is a common issue and it is important to identify the cause. For example, conductive hearing loss is often due to relatively non-urgent causes (e.g. infection, wax impaction, and foreign bodies). On the other hand, sensorineural hearing loss can be due to more sinister or emergent causes (e.g. stroke, tumour, and autoimmune disease).
In this podcast, Dr Joel Hardman talks to James about the differentials, how to evaluate the patient, and shares some example cases.
Summary Writer: Nadia Perera
Script Writer: Nadia Perera
Editor: Joel Hardman
Interviewee: Joel Hardman
Dr Joel Hardman graduated medicine from the University of Sydney in 2010. He completed his internship and residency at Westmead Hospital, NSW. Joel has completed two years as a Senior Resident Medical Officer/Unaccredited General Surgery and two years in Ear Nose and Throat Surgery. Joel completed his Masters in microRNAs in papillary thyroid cancer at the University of Sydney in 2016, was the Ear Nose and Throat Senior Resident Medical Officer at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital last year and is currently working as a Registrar at Sydney Adventist Hospital.
With Dr Joel Hardman, ENT Registrar at Sydney Adventist Hospital, Sydney, Australia
Hearing loss is a common issue with a range of differentials, both otological and non-otological. It is important to be able to assess and differentiate between conductive hearing loss, which is often due to relatively non-urgent causes (e.g. infection, wax impaction and foreign bodies), as opposed to sensorineural hearing loss, which can be due to more sinister or emergent causes (e.g. stroke, tumour, autoimmune disease).
You are asked to review a 67-year-old gentleman admitted with an infective exacerbation of COPD and numerous cardiovascular comorbidities. He is reporting new right-sided hearing loss with associated tinnitus.
A patient with a history of atrial fibrillation incidentally reports acute hearing loss with associated vertigo and is found to have sensorineural hearing loss on examination.
A patient reports sudden sensorineural hearing loss over 24 hours associated with tinnitus on a background of Grave’s disease.
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