Hearing loss may also take place during an acuteexacerbation.
In very rare cases, it has been reported as the first symptom of the disease.
Overall, however, these issues are uncommonsymptoms of MS.
Verywell / Cindy Chung
In diagnosing hearing problems, other causes must also be considered.
Hearing Issues
About 6 percent of people who have MS note that they experience auditory complications.
Sudden Hearing Loss
By definition, sudden hearing loss develops quickly.
The impairment can happen all at once or over a few days.
Some people report a popping sound before the hearing loss.
This dramatic, rapid onset differentiates sudden hearing loss from age- and noise-related hearing loss, which develop gradually.
Sudden hearing loss does not necessarily mean that you are completely deaf in the affected ear.
Interestingly, about three-fourths of people who develop sudden hearing loss also experience tinnitus.
Causes
Sudden hearing loss (with or without ringing in the ears) maysignal an MS relapse.
Like other MS-related symptoms, these problems occur due to nerve damage in the brain.
This is known as sensorineural hearing loss.
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