Veteran Bollywood singer Alka Yagnik has revealed that she has been diagnosed with a “rare sensorineural hearing loss” due to a viral infection. She has suffered a type of hearing loss that is caused by damage to the inner ear or the nerve pathways that transmit sound from the ear to the brain.
According to Dr Manish Munjal, Vice Chairman, ENT, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi, sudden sensorineural hearing loss is a medical emergency, as if aggressive treatment is not done within 48-72 hours, it can be irreversible.
“The centre of the problem is the cochlea, an inner ear organ, where it is caused by damage to the hair cells,” Munjal told IANS on Tuesday.
Causes can range from simple viruses such as herpes, varicella, and mumps to sudden exposure to noise over 85 decibels (dB).
Munjal also pointed out that the disorder can also be caused by more serious reasons, such as excessive intake of painkillers, chemotherapy, tumor compression, meningitis and stroke.
He added, “The need of the hour is to visit an ENT specialist to get the necessary ear checkup done and also get an audiometry test done. Once diagnosed, treatment may require a mix of antivirals, oral and intratympanic steroids, as well as rest from noisy environments.”
According to the doctor, once treatment begins, the chances of recovery are usually 70 percent or more.
Munjal said the disorder affects only 1 per cent of people in both ears compared to just one ear.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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