Self-reported symptoms in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

Objective: This study evaluated self-reported symptoms in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSHL).

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Multicenter clinical investigation in 9 university hospitals.

Patients: In total, 140 patients with ISSHL and 24 patients with unilateral sensorineural hearing loss (USHL; control) were included.

Main Outcome Measures: A questionnaire on symptoms of ISSHL was distributed and the Short-Form Health Survey (Version 2) was used for assessing the quality of life.

Results: In response to questions on hearing difficulty, many of patients in both groups experienced symptoms. In response to questions on hearing-related discomfort, a significantly higher number of patients with ISSHL experienced symptoms compared with those with USHL. Compared with a high incidence of tinnitus in patients with ISSHL, very low incidence of tinnitus was observed in those with USHL.In the multiple linear regression analysis, hearing-related discomfort was the sole significant factor on the Mental Component Summary scores of the Short-Form Health Survey (Version 2).

Conclusion: Many patients with ISSHL experience several symptoms such as hearing difficulty, hearing-related discomfort, tinnitus, and anxiety. Hearing-related discomfort strongly affected the quality of life in patients with ISSHL.