A female patient suffering from sudden sensorineural
hearing loss was treated with acupuncture for one month and recovered
completely. Three months follow-up showed her hearing maintained normal. A case
report was recently published in journal of Medicine.
Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL), also known as
sudden deafness, occurs when you lose your hearing very quickly. SSHL happens
when the inner ear, the cochlea in the inner ear, or the nerve pathway between
the ear and brain is damaged. There are so many of causes of SSHL so sometimes
it is difficult to tell the exact cause of the hearing loss. The common
treatment of SSHL is steroids which reduces inflammation and swelling. However,
effect of steroids is not always satisfactory and usually accompanied with
adverse effects with chronic use.
Dr. Y Jin and M Lu in China reported a case study of
acupuncture treatment for SSHL. A 26-year-old female patient with right ear sudden
hearing loss coupled with fullness sought for acupuncture treatment one day
after her hearing loss. She was diagnosed as SSHL. Hearing exams showed her initial
hearing loss thresholds was less than 40 dB and was classified as mild SSHL. Acupuncture
stimulation at acupoints GB2, SI19 and TE21 was performed for 30 min each time,
once a day for a month. Patient reported slight hearing improvement during 2nd
week treatment and a marked hearing improvement during 3rd week treatment
with better sleepiness during night. By the
end of treatment patient reported her hearing went back to normal. Hearing
exams showed hearing thresholds were normal. Three month follow-up found she
maintained a normal hearing with her right ear.
This report suggests that acupuncture can be an effective
alternative treatment for SSHL. Acupuncture may exert its effect through reducing
inflammation, increasing local circulation and enhance nerve function recovery.
Reference
Y Jin & M Lu, Acupuncture
as a primary and independent treatment in the acute phases of sudden sensorineural
hearing loss - Case Report. Medicine (2016) 95:26. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27368045
