Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) may be linked to Lyme disease in some patients. The study aimed to assess how often this form of sudden hearing loss occurs among patients tested for Lyme disease.
The authors explain that sudden sensorineural hearing loss is defined as a hearing loss of 30 dB or more across at least three adjacent audiometric frequencies occurring within a 72-hour period.
This type of sudden hearing loss can have many causes, including viral infections, vascular insufficiency, autoimmune disease, tumors, stroke, or prior radiation therapy.
Treatment typically targets the underlying cause and may include corticosteroids, vasodilators, or ionotropic agents. Unfortunately, in nearly 90% of sudden hearing loss cases the exact cause remains unknown.
The study evaluated 86 hospitalized patients diagnosed with sudden sensorineural hearing loss between 2017 and 2018. As part of their evaluation, the patients were tested for Lyme disease.
Out of the 86 patients, 9 tested positive for Lyme disease. Other studies suggest that as many as 21% of patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss may test positive for Lyme disease, the authors note.
Lyme Disease and Sudden Hearing Loss
The nine Lyme disease patients averaged about 47 years of age, with an age range between 30 and 70.
None of the Lyme patients responded to initial treatment with intravenous corticosteroids, microcirculatory drugs, or ionotropic medications.
Seven of the nine patients were then treated with antibiotics — either oral doxycycline or intravenous ceftriaxone.
Four patients received doxycycline. One of these patients experienced a modest improvement in hearing of approximately 10 dB.
Hearing Recovery After Ceftriaxone Treatment
The remaining three patients were treated with intravenous ceftriaxone and experienced complete recovery of their hearing.
“Those three patients reported a complete recovery of hearing,” the authors wrote, noting significant improvement in both low- and high-frequency hearing thresholds.
How Lyme Disease May Cause Hearing Loss
The authors suggest that infection with Borrelia burgdorferi may contribute to inflammation and vascular injury affecting the inner ear.
“Infections caused by Borrelia burgdorferi may contribute to the development of inflammatory and angiopathic lesions, which are a possible cause of sudden sensorineural hearing loss.”
Two patients continued to experience high-frequency tinnitus even after treatment. In these cases, tinnitus had been present since the beginning of the illness.
The authors concluded that the Lyme disease patients in the study “experienced partial or complete regression of their deafness following antibiotic treatment,” suggesting a potential relationship between Lyme disease and sudden hearing loss.
They cautioned that longer duration of infection increases the likelihood of permanent damage to the cochlea or auditory nerve.
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Lyme disease patient with permanent tinnitus and hearing loss
I was shocked to read this article on Lyme & Sudden Hearing Loss. I’ve never read this before. I definitely believe this is what happened to me. I’ve had Menieres & resultant moderate-severe hearing loss since my 20’s. In my mid-forties I contracted Lyme, Babsia & a few other virals. But, Boom! My hearing loss went straight to Profound loss. Un-aidable loss! Completely deaf! Definitely tragic & devastating in a multitude of ways! It was nearly two years before I was diagnosed with my Lyme complex and then treated. Which of course this treatment was too late for my deafness. The deafness was horrifying, but the resulting non stop tinnitus was nearly too much to endure. People don’t realize that most deafness is NOT quiet. I nearly always have four distinctly different tones, two in each ear. These tones do vary in volume & intensity, from annoying background to full on raging. Many times filling my head with sooo much noise, volume and a wind up & up & up to the point that my head is so ‘heavy’ causing complete physical exhaustion! Relief with any noise diversion tactics/therapies were of no benefit, as I could not hear them. Finally, about fifteen years later I was fortunate to have bilateral Cochlear Implants. With the CI’s the tinnitus changes completely while wearing them, is a welcomed bonus. And, I also have gradually increased to some very nice hearing in one ear, and in the other ear I’ve obtained a good ‘hearing’ levels, but still rather poor speech discrimination. Lyme itself has been an awful journey which we are all well acquainted in the multi facets, medical, economic, social & relationships. With Lyme treatment I was not cured. I was brought up out of the depths of my pain & debilitating illness to a new ‘impaired’ level of physical status and finally an acceptance of my new being. With much the same of my deafness. I have great relief with my CI’s & an acceptance of my new hearing.
Thank you for this article and the validation of my Lyme – Hearing Loss experience.
breaking this into short paragraphs for us neuro cognitive lyme patients to be able to read and comprehend better.
..
• Judy Ann Closser
05/06/2021 (1:35 pm)
• I was shocked to read this article on Lyme & Sudden Hearing Loss.
•
• I’ve never read this before.
•
• I definitely believe this is what happened to me.
•
• I’ve had Menieres & resultant moderate-severe hearing loss since my 20’s.
•
• In my mid-forties I contracted Lyme, Babsia & a few other virals.
•
• But, Boom!
•
• My hearing loss went straight to Profound loss.
•
• Un-aidable loss!
•
• Completely deaf!
•
• Definitely tragic & devastating in a multitude of ways!
•
• It was nearly two years before I was diagnosed with my Lyme complex and then treated.
•
• Which of course this treatment was too late for my deafness.
•
• The deafness was horrifying, but the resulting non-stop tinnitus was nearly too much to endure.
•
• People don’t realize that most deafness is NOT quiet.
•
• I nearly always have four distinctly different tones, two in each ear.
•
• These tones do vary in volume & intensity, from annoying background to full on raging.
•
• Many times filling my head with so much noise, volume, and a wind-up & to the point that my head is so ‘heavy’ causing complete physical exhaustion!
•
• Relief with any noise diversion tactics/therapies were of no benefit, as I could not hear them.
•
• Finally about fifteen years later, I was fortunate to have bilateral Cochlear Implants.
•
• With the CI’s the tinnitus changes completely while wearing them, is a welcomed bonus.
•
• And, I also have gradually increased to some very nice hearing in one ear.
•
• In the other ear, I’ve obtained a good ‘hearing’ levels, but still rather poor speech discrimination.
•
• Lyme itself has been an awful journey, which we are all well acquainted in the multi-facets, medical, economic, social & relationships.
•
• With Lyme treatment, I was not cured.
•
• I was brought up out of the depths of my pain & debilitating illness to a new ‘impaired’ level of physical status and finally an acceptance of my new being.
•
• With much the same of my deafness. I have great relief with my CI’s & an acceptance of my new hearing.
•
• Thank you for this article and the validation of my Lyme – Hearing Loss experience.