As an option if there is no improvement through infusion therapy or tablets in the case of sudden hearing loss , after local anesthesia of the eardrum, a direct injection of cortisone into the middle ear can be carried out (intratympanic cortisone injection). A significantly higher concentration of cortisone in the cochlea/inner ear can be achieved here. The side effect rate is very low. The typical symptoms of acute hearing loss are sudden hearing loss and pressure in the ear, but also distorted hearing, dizziness and ringing in the ears. Not all of the above symptoms have to occur at the same time. The causes of an acute sudden hearing loss have not yet been clarified and remain in the dark. Possible causes can be viral infections, circulatory disorders and disorders at the cellular level. Risk factors that can lead to acute sudden hearing loss are smoking, considerable stress and a wide variety of comorbidities.
Intratympanic corticosteroid therapy can even be used in patients who cannot work with cortisone or only to a very limited extent - such as diabetics and heart patients! This procedure can also be used in many high-risk patients, since the very low dose of cortisone does not even get into the bloodstream and side effects are therefore extremely unlikely. The cortisone applied intratympanally does not have a systemic effect, but only locally and therefore has no effect on blood sugar. This new innovative therapy has been used in Germany for several years in the treatment of acute hearing loss.