Risk of sudden sensorineural hearing loss in stroke patients: A narrative review

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is a common clinical complaint presented in the otology clinic. While the majority of SSNHL cases are idiopathic, some instances may be caused by underlying conditions that are potentially treatable. The search for articles was done by online databases such as Google Scholar, Scopus, PubMed, and Medline. Following the guidelines of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis, a search method was developed. Vascular involvement in SSNHL’s pathogenesis has been suggested despite the fact that the cause is still unknown in a sizable portion of cases. It is yet unknown how stroke and SSNHL are related. However, the current studies suggest a higher chance of stroke following SSNHL, and sudden hearing impairment may serve as a prodrome to cerebrovascular accident. Poststroke SSNHL may hamper communication between the caregivers and patients, so restrict the participation in rehabilitation and limits the improvement of patient condition. SSNHL is associated with a significant chance of negative functional and cognitive outcomes that can also significantly affect a patient’s quality of life. The present treatment of this clinical entity is a high dose of steroids which is predicated on the idea that subsequent viral infection is the etiology of SSNHL. However, in cases when SSNHL is linked to stroke, the effectiveness of this treatment is still debatable. SSNHL, a potentially warning target therapy with anticoagulants for the treatment of stroke. The clinical guidelines for auditory assessments following stroke are very rudimentary. This article reviews the details of SSNHL in patients with stroke.