'Playback singer's rare sensorineural hearing loss can happen to anyone', say experts

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The world is in shock learning about the health tragedy that befell on acclaimed singer Alka Yagnik who publically announced about losing her sense of hearing. However, health experts say that such a condition can happen to anyone at any time. The condition is called Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL).

In common cases, it affects only one ear, but rarely it can do damage to both. It is known that both ears of Alka are affected. Noise pollution, ear damage and virus infection are the culprits leading to such a health ailment. Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is a condition where the sound waves that reach the cochlea, fail to reach the brain.

The malfunction occurs in the nerves. People with regular exposure to noise pollution will see the capacity of their inner ear plummeting. Any infection in the body during this stage will also spread to other parts including the cochlea. It can cause hearing loss.

Such a condition occurs when the nerves from the cochlea are ruptured during accidents and tumours form in the nerves, Dr John Panicker points out.

The main symptoms are occasional hearing loss, ringing in the ears, dizziness, feeling like something is swollen inside the ear. It can be aggravated after viral infections including the common cold.

• Do not stay in noisy places regularly. Otherwise, preventive measures should be taken

• Don't use earphones regularly. Take a gap every ten minutes while using earphones.

• The ailment can be treated with steroid medications. Otherwise, hearing can be restored through cochlear implantation. But this can never reach the efficiency of pre-ailment times.