Steroids for idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss

Abstract

Background: This is an update of a Cochrane review first published in The Cochrane Library in Issue 1, 2006 and previously updated in 2009. Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSHL) is a clinical diagnosis characterised by a sudden deafness of cochlear or retrocochlear origin in the absence of a clear precipitating cause. Steroids are commonly prescribed to treat this condition. There is no consensus on their effectiveness. Objectives: To determine whether steroids in the treatment of ISSHL a) improve hearing (primary) and b) reduce tinnitus (secondary). To determine the incidence of significant side effects from the medication. Search methods: We searched the Cochrane Ear, Nose a..