Hearing loss
Conductive or sensorineural at the bedside, sudden sensorineural hearing loss as an emergency, MRI for asymmetric loss, ototoxic drugs, and hearing loss as a modifiable dementia risk.
Tier 1Approach to a presentation
Written with AI assistance and fact-checked against the sources below. For exam study, not clinical decisions. How notes are made
At a glance
- First decide conductive or sensorineural with tuning forks and otoscopy, then confirm with pure tone audiometry.
- Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is an otological emergency. Get an audiogram within days and consider steroid within 2 weeks.
- Asymmetric sensorineural loss or unilateral tinnitus needs an MRI for vestibular schwannoma.
Loading the rest of the note…
Finished reading?
Sources
- Clinical practice guideline: sudden hearing loss (update) (Chandrasekhar SS et al. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2019;161:S1-S45)American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation, 2019
- Hearing loss in adults: assessment and management (NG98)National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2018
- Hearing Services ProgramAU/NZAustralian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
- Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2024 report of the Lancet standing Commission (Livingston G et al. Lancet 2024;404:572-628)The Lancet, 2024
- Hearing intervention versus health education control to reduce cognitive decline in older adults with hearing loss in the USA (ACHIEVE) (Lin FR et al. Lancet 2023;402:786-97)The Lancet, 2023
- Last updated
- 14 November 2026
What changed
- 14 November 2026 Turnstile bot check on sign-in and signed-out feedback