Can I recover my hearing lost due to an attack of giddiness?

Q: I have lost my hearing due to a sudden attack of severe giddiness. Is there any medical treatment, which can help me recover my hearing?

A:You appear to have suffered from an episode of labyrinthitis (inflammation of the inner ear affecting the nerve cells of hearing and balance in the ear). Generally in such a condition, any damage to the nerve cells is permanent, unless recovery takes place within the first week of onset of symptoms. While your balance would improve through balance retraining exercises and medication (as the brain can compensate for the loss of balance function), it is highly unlikely that at this stage your hearing would improve. However, you should have a hearing test (audiogram) to confirm the nature and extent of hearing loss and based on that an MRI may also be recommended. A recent option available to persons with single sided deafness is the implantation of a bone-anchored hearing aid, which is currently available in a few select centres.