Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsIssuesCausesDiagnosisTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Issues
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Inflammation and demyelination frommultiple sclerosis(MS) can cause a host of symptoms and complications. In some, damage to the hearing nerve pathways in the brain and the brainstem may lead to ringing in the ears (tinnitus) and hearing loss. 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. In diagnosing hearing problems, other causes must also be considered.
Verywell / Cindy Chung
Hearing Issues
About 6 percent of people who have MS note that they experience auditory complications. And according to one study involving 2,736 people with MS, only 0.7 percent experienced sudden hearing loss over an 11-year period; ringing in the ears is even less commonly associated with the disease.
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. From a medical perspective, this condition is defined as the rapid loss of at least 30 decibels (a measure of sound intensity). Loss of 30 decibels is akin to perceiving normal conversation as if it were being whispered.
Tinnitus
Many people think of tinnitus as ringing in the ears, but it can also sound like a whistle, click, murmur, or a whooshing noise. It can be loud enough to interfere with your hearing or a soft noise you only notice when in quiet surroundings.
Interestingly, about three-fourths of people who develop sudden hearing loss also experience tinnitus.
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.
More specifically, anMS lesionlocated in any of several areas of the brain involved in hearing or involvement of the eighth cranial nerve, which carries nerve signals to and from the inner ear, can potentially cause hearing loss. This is known as sensorineural hearing loss.
Given how prevalent hearing problems are overall, any new hearing-related symptom needs to be thoroughly evaluated to rule outnon-MS-related causes, such as an accumulation of ear wax, noise- or medication-related hearing loss, and inner ear disease, among others.
Your primary care healthcare provider can perform basic hearing tests and will refer you to an audiologist if further testing is necessary.
If non-MS-related causes are ruled out, your neurologist may recommend amagnetic resonance imaging (MRI)scan of the brain and/or an auditory brainstem response test, which assesses the transmission of electrical signals from your inners ears to other areas of your brain involved in hearing.
Treatment will depend on whether your MS or another problem is found to be the culprit for your symptoms.
However, some people experience only partial recovery of their hearing, and a small percentage of people are left with permanent hearing loss.In these cases, a hearing aid can help restore some degree of hearing.
A Word From Verywell
When you’re living with multiple sclerosis, it’s often very challenging to determine whether a new symptom is or is not related to your MS. If you experience sudden hearing loss and/or ringing in the ears or another form of tinnitus, contact your healthcare provider without delay. Your neurologist might suggest that you see an ear, nose, and throat specialist first to check for non-MS-related causes.
5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Ralli M, Stadio AD, Visconti IC, et al.Otolaryngologic Symptoms in Multiple Sclerosis: A Review. The International Tinnitus Journal. 2018;22(2). doi:10.5935/0946-5448.20180027Atula S, Sinkkonen ST, Saat R, Sairanen T, Atula T.Association of multiple sclerosis and sudden sensorineural hearing loss.Mult Scler J Exp Transl Clin. 2016;2:2055217316652155. doi:10.1177/2055217316652155Tekin M.Sudden sensorineural hearing loss in a multiple sclerosis case. Northern Clinics of Istanbul. 2014;1(2). doi:10.14744/nci.2014.35744Mühlmeier G, Baguley D, Cox T, Suckfüll M, Meyer T.Characteristics and Spontaneous Recovery of Tinnitus Related to Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss. Otol Neurotol. 2016;37(6):634-41. doi:10.1097/MAO.0000000000001081Sudden Deafness. National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Sept 18, 2018.Additional ReadingAtula S, Sinkkonen S, Saat R, Sairanen T, Atula T.Association of Multiple Sclerosis and Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss.Mult Scler J Exp Transl Clin. 2016;2:2055217316652155. doi:10.1177/2055217316652155.Hellmann MA, Steiner I,Mosberg-Galili R.Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss in Multiple Sclerosis: Clinical Course and Possible Pathogenesis.Acta Neurol Scand. 2011 Oct;124(4):245-9. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0404.2010.01463.xNational MS Society.Hearing Loss. https://www.nationalmssociety.org/Symptoms-Diagnosis/MS-Symptoms/Hearing-Loss
5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Ralli M, Stadio AD, Visconti IC, et al.Otolaryngologic Symptoms in Multiple Sclerosis: A Review. The International Tinnitus Journal. 2018;22(2). doi:10.5935/0946-5448.20180027Atula S, Sinkkonen ST, Saat R, Sairanen T, Atula T.Association of multiple sclerosis and sudden sensorineural hearing loss.Mult Scler J Exp Transl Clin. 2016;2:2055217316652155. doi:10.1177/2055217316652155Tekin M.Sudden sensorineural hearing loss in a multiple sclerosis case. Northern Clinics of Istanbul. 2014;1(2). doi:10.14744/nci.2014.35744Mühlmeier G, Baguley D, Cox T, Suckfüll M, Meyer T.Characteristics and Spontaneous Recovery of Tinnitus Related to Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss. Otol Neurotol. 2016;37(6):634-41. doi:10.1097/MAO.0000000000001081Sudden Deafness. National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Sept 18, 2018.Additional ReadingAtula S, Sinkkonen S, Saat R, Sairanen T, Atula T.Association of Multiple Sclerosis and Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss.Mult Scler J Exp Transl Clin. 2016;2:2055217316652155. doi:10.1177/2055217316652155.Hellmann MA, Steiner I,Mosberg-Galili R.Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss in Multiple Sclerosis: Clinical Course and Possible Pathogenesis.Acta Neurol Scand. 2011 Oct;124(4):245-9. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0404.2010.01463.xNational MS Society.Hearing Loss. https://www.nationalmssociety.org/Symptoms-Diagnosis/MS-Symptoms/Hearing-Loss
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Ralli M, Stadio AD, Visconti IC, et al.Otolaryngologic Symptoms in Multiple Sclerosis: A Review. The International Tinnitus Journal. 2018;22(2). doi:10.5935/0946-5448.20180027Atula S, Sinkkonen ST, Saat R, Sairanen T, Atula T.Association of multiple sclerosis and sudden sensorineural hearing loss.Mult Scler J Exp Transl Clin. 2016;2:2055217316652155. doi:10.1177/2055217316652155Tekin M.Sudden sensorineural hearing loss in a multiple sclerosis case. Northern Clinics of Istanbul. 2014;1(2). doi:10.14744/nci.2014.35744Mühlmeier G, Baguley D, Cox T, Suckfüll M, Meyer T.Characteristics and Spontaneous Recovery of Tinnitus Related to Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss. Otol Neurotol. 2016;37(6):634-41. doi:10.1097/MAO.0000000000001081Sudden Deafness. National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Sept 18, 2018.
Ralli M, Stadio AD, Visconti IC, et al.Otolaryngologic Symptoms in Multiple Sclerosis: A Review. The International Tinnitus Journal. 2018;22(2). doi:10.5935/0946-5448.20180027
Atula S, Sinkkonen ST, Saat R, Sairanen T, Atula T.Association of multiple sclerosis and sudden sensorineural hearing loss.Mult Scler J Exp Transl Clin. 2016;2:2055217316652155. doi:10.1177/2055217316652155
Tekin M.Sudden sensorineural hearing loss in a multiple sclerosis case. Northern Clinics of Istanbul. 2014;1(2). doi:10.14744/nci.2014.35744
Mühlmeier G, Baguley D, Cox T, Suckfüll M, Meyer T.Characteristics and Spontaneous Recovery of Tinnitus Related to Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss. Otol Neurotol. 2016;37(6):634-41. doi:10.1097/MAO.0000000000001081
Sudden Deafness. National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Sept 18, 2018.
Atula S, Sinkkonen S, Saat R, Sairanen T, Atula T.Association of Multiple Sclerosis and Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss.Mult Scler J Exp Transl Clin. 2016;2:2055217316652155. doi:10.1177/2055217316652155.Hellmann MA, Steiner I,Mosberg-Galili R.Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss in Multiple Sclerosis: Clinical Course and Possible Pathogenesis.Acta Neurol Scand. 2011 Oct;124(4):245-9. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0404.2010.01463.xNational MS Society.Hearing Loss. https://www.nationalmssociety.org/Symptoms-Diagnosis/MS-Symptoms/Hearing-Loss
Atula S, Sinkkonen S, Saat R, Sairanen T, Atula T.Association of Multiple Sclerosis and Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss.Mult Scler J Exp Transl Clin. 2016;2:2055217316652155. doi:10.1177/2055217316652155.
Hellmann MA, Steiner I,Mosberg-Galili R.Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss in Multiple Sclerosis: Clinical Course and Possible Pathogenesis.Acta Neurol Scand. 2011 Oct;124(4):245-9. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0404.2010.01463.x
National MS Society.Hearing Loss. https://www.nationalmssociety.org/Symptoms-Diagnosis/MS-Symptoms/Hearing-Loss
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
