Auditory nerve neuritis: causes, symptoms, treatment, reviews

In large cities, as a result of exposure to strong background noise on the hearing aid, many people are diagnosed with neuritis of the auditory nerve, which leads to atrophic and degenerative changes in the cells of the sound-receiving apparatus, and, as a result, to hearing loss, the appearance of imaginary tinnitus, and speech illegibility. This phenomenon occurs in 6% of cases worldwide, most often men over 55 years of age suffer. But older people usually do not go to the doctor, since they believe that this is a consequence of the age-related characteristics of the body. But neuritis often leads to complete hearing loss, which significantly reduces the patient’s quality of life.

Pathology Description

Auditory nerve neuritis is a disease in which an inflammatory process develops in the nerve that provides hearing function. The auditory nerve is located in the inner ear, it transmits sound impulses to the brain and signals that come from the vestibular apparatus, which is also localized in the inner ear. Damage to a nerve entails a decrease in hearing, dizziness, nausea, and a loss of orientation in space.

The auditory nerve originates from fibrous cells, which are antennas that pick up vibrations of sound, convert their electrical signals and transmit to the nerve itself. Therefore, it also affects the hair cells and nerve centers in the brain of the auditory nerve neuritis. Treatment, which doctors have good reviews with when a patient visits a medical institution in a timely manner, should be aimed at stopping the pathological process, since with the death of hair cells they never recover, so hearing loss is significantly reduced. In the absence of therapy, the disease provokes the development of complete deafness. This pathology can affect both one and both ears.

Causes of the disease

The causes of neuritis of the auditory nerve can be various. Often, an infection can trigger any infection in the head and neck. Often, the pathology develops due to influenza, SARS, meningitis, mumps, and rubella.

Also, the causes of the development of the disease are:

1. Long-term exposure to the auditory nerve of toxins and harmful substances, drugs, alcohol and nicotine, mercury, heavy metals. Such substances contribute to the development of inflammation of the auditory nerve.
2. Injuries and damage to the head, which contribute to circulatory disorders, the development of swelling, microscopic hemorrhages from the cerebral arteries. With damage to the vessels that feed the nerve, neuritis develops. Also, the auditory nerve can become inflamed due to damage by oblique debris, the penetration of infection during trauma.
3. Age-related changes. In this case, the development of the disease is associated with hypertension, circulatory disorders in the brain, changes in the hearing aid, as well as a stroke.
4. Professional activity. Often, auditory nerve neuritis develops in people who are constantly in conditions of increased noise, vibration. Often the disease appears as a result of acoustic trauma (the impact of a loud sound on the organs of hearing), for example, with a whistle, a shot.
5. Allergic reactions, sharp pressure drop.
6. Benign or malignant tumors.

Symptoms and signs of the disease

Usually, with neuritis of the auditory nerve, symptoms do not appear immediately, since it is characterized by a slow course. The main signs of the disease include:

1. Hearing loss due to inflammation of the auditory nerve. This phenomenon can have a different degree of manifestation, in some cases there is a complete loss of hearing. Hearing loss occurs gradually, so if you see a doctor in a timely manner, you can prevent the development of negative consequences.
2. The presence of noise or ringing in the ears, regardless of external factors. This phenomenon is constantly observed in humans, but with complete loss of hearing it disappears.
3. Severe pain in the ears due to mechanical damage due to trauma.
4. An increase in blood pressure, the appearance of points in front of the eyes indicates a violation of the vessels of the brain.
5. Nausea, impaired coordination of movements, dizziness, headache appear when the cochlear nerve is involved in the pathological process, which transmits signals to the brain from the vestibular apparatus.
6. Weakness, discoloration of the skin develop with acute intoxication.
7. Cough, fever in infectious diseases.
8. Decreased speech intelligibility, feeling of fullness in the ear.

Other signs of the disease will depend on the course of inflammatory and degenerative processes.

The degree of development of pathology

In medicine, neuritis of the auditory nerve has several degrees of development:

1. The first degree, in which a person can hear a whisper at a distance of three meters, and colloquial speech at a distance of six meters.
2. The second degree, in which a person can hear a whisper at a distance of one meter, and colloquial speech at a distance of four meters.
3. The third degree, when a person can not hear a whisper, and he hears conversational speech at a distance of one meter.
4. The fourth degree of pathology, when a person can distinguish only certain sounds.
5. The fifth degree is characterized by complete deafness.

Diagnostic measures

Before prescribing treatment for neuritis of the auditory nerve, the doctor must diagnose and make an accurate diagnosis. Research should be aimed at establishing the causes of the development of the disease, determining the degree of hearing impairment. For this, the doctor prescribes the following diagnostic methods:

1. Otoscopic examination for the study of the organ of hearing using an endoscope, which is inserted into the ear cavity.
2. Rinne test to establish conductive or sensorineural deafness.
3. A test using whispering and speaking to establish the degree of development of the disease.
4. Weber's test for differentiation of hearing loss due to damage to a sound-conducting or sound-receiving apparatus.
5. Test Schwabach and Jelle to determine hearing impairment using tuning forks.

An otolaryngologist also differentiates neuritis with a disease such as otosclerosis.

Thus, to make a final diagnosis, audiological studies are conducted to determine the nature of hearing damage, to determine the hearing threshold of sounds of different frequencies.

Pathology therapy

Usually, neuritis of the auditory nerve treatment involves a comprehensive, which will depend on the cause of the disease. In the presence of bacterial and viral diseases that lead to hearing loss, antibacterial drugs are prescribed. Their choice depends on the results of bacterial seeding, which will show the presence of bacteria sensitivity to antibiotics. To reduce the effect of toxins on the auditory nerve, the doctor prescribes vitamin complexes, prescribes plenty of drink and rest, good nutrition.

In chronic intoxications with various substances, auditory nerve neuritis treatment involves a long. The doctor prescribes special antidotes that will remove toxins from the body, drugs aimed at eliminating the symptoms of poisoning, as well as physiotherapy, mud therapy, mineral baths and so on.

If the patient has been diagnosed with acute poisoning, he is given first aid, and then sent to a hospital where antidotes, symptomatic therapy, and vitamins are prescribed. In severe cases, resuscitation may be required.

For injuries and damage to the skull, it is urgent to contact a medical institution in order to prevent the development of neuritis and other complications. Before treating neuritis of the auditory nerve, the doctor performs an X-ray of the skull, encephalography. Then painkillers, medications are prescribed, which contribute to the normalization of blood circulation in the brain, diuretics for relieving puffiness, vitamin and mineral complexes.

With damage to the auditory nerve as a result of professional activity, it is necessary to exclude the cause of the development of pathology. In this case, the person must change the situation. As a therapy, the doctor prescribes adaptogens and vitamins. Physiotherapy is also prescribed, in particular electrophoresis, balneotherapy, mud therapy and radon baths to eliminate inflammation in nerve fibers, magnetotherapy and acupuncture to relieve pain. Such patients should undergo a course of therapy twice a year. With complete loss of hearing, prosthetics are performed.

If neuritis of the auditory nerve, the symptoms and treatment of which is now being considered, has arisen as a result of acoustic trauma, the patient is prescribed painkillers and sedatives, antibiotics and antiseptics to eliminate infections in the ear, vitamins, adaptogens, as well as drugs that normalize blood circulation in small vessels and functionality nervous system.

With age-related changes, neuritis is difficult to treat. In this case, the patient is prescribed medication, which he will have to take all his life. These include drugs to normalize blood pressure, reduce the concentration of glucose and cholesterol in the blood, as well as blood coagulability, normalize blood flow in the vessels of the brain, vitamins and biological additives. Also, such patients are recommended to undergo spa treatment, physiotherapy.

Acute neuritis of the auditory nerve (reviews about this pathological process without treatment among doctors are only negative) can be fatal. In this case, the person must be urgently hospitalized. He is prescribed drugs aimed at improving blood circulation and metabolism in the brain, diuretics, anticonvulsants and detoxification drugs. The patient must follow a special diet, which involves restricting fluid intake.

Auditory nerve neuritis: folk remedies

This disease in the absence of effective and timely treatment leads to complete hearing loss. Doctors recommend immediately contacting a medical institution if the first symptoms of the disease appear. Doctors say that with neuritis of the auditory nerve, treatment with folk remedies should not be used as the main one. Alternative medicine can be used only as an additional therapy to reduce the manifestations of the disease. Self-medication in this case is strictly prohibited, so you need to consult a doctor about the use of certain medicinal plants. Otherwise, there is a risk of complications and negative consequences that may be irreversible when the treatment of auditory nerve neuritis with folk remedies is used.

Hearing restoration

With a prolonged course of the disease, hearing usually cannot be returned. In this case, the wearing of a hearing aid or the use of cochlear implantation is possible. To prevent further hearing loss, it is recommended to periodically undergo courses of therapy, which includes the use of diaphoretic and diuretic drugs, vitamins, biostimulants, and blood circulation normalizers.

After conducting audiometry in order to identify the degree of development of pathology, the doctor determines the possibility of wearing a hearing aid. An important point in this case is the correct selection and configuration of the device. They can be behind and behind the ear.

With severe hearing impairment, cochlear implantation is used. It consists of a chain of electrodes, a receiver, a speech processor, and a battery compartment. The doctor performs an implant placement operation, then the patient is taught how to live with this unit and what complications may arise.

Disease prognosis

The prognosis depends on the stage of the disease and how timely treatment has been started. With TBI, infections and poisoning, the prognosis is usually favorable; deafness is observed only in the absence of therapy. In chronic pathologies, the prognosis is often unfavorable. With age-related changes, it is only possible to stop the pathological process, but the patient cannot be completely cured.

Prevention

For the purpose of prevention, it is recommended to eliminate negative factors that can trigger the development of the disease. Doctors recommend timely treatment of infectious and viral diseases, eliminate addictions, contact with toxins and harmful substances, do not take antibacterial drugs for a long time, and also periodically undergo an examination with an otolaryngologist, especially for people over 55 years of age. In the presence of harmful working conditions, personal protective equipment must be used. Compliance with all the recommendations and prescriptions of a doctor helps to reduce the risk of serious complications that can cause disability.