COMPARISON OF SYSTEMIC STEROIDS, INTRATYMPANIC STEROIDS, AND SYSTEMIC STEROIDS WITH ANTIOXIDANTS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF SUDDEN SENSORINEURAL HEARING LOSS: A PROSPECTIVE COMPARATIVE STUDY

Abstract

Background: Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is a distressing otologic condition marked by rapid loss of auditory function, often developing without warning. Although corticosteroids are widely accepted as the primary treatment modality, uncertainty persists regarding the most effective route of administration. In routine clinical practice, antioxidants are also frequently prescribed as adjuncts, despite ongoing debate regarding their role. Objectives: To compare hearing outcomes following systemic steroid therapy, intratympanic steroid therapy, and systemic steroid therapy combined with antioxidants in patients diagnosed with sudden sensorineural hearing loss. Methods: This prospective comparative study included 30 patients with SSNHL allocated equally into three treatment groups. Group 1 received systemic steroids, Group 2 received intratympanic steroids, and Group 3 received systemic steroids with antioxidants supplementation. Hearing outcomes were evaluated using pure tone audiometry, and changes in pure tone average thresholds were analyzed over the follow-up period of 6 weeks. Results: Improvement in hearing thresholds was observed across all treatment groups. Patients treated with systemic steroids combined with antioxidants demonstrated greater mean improvement in pure tone average thresholds when compared with systemic steroid therapy alone. Intratympanic steroid therapy also resulted in notable hearing recovery, with outcomes approaching those of combination therapy in several patients. Conclusion: The study suggests that intratympanic steroid therapy and systemic steroids combined with antioxidants may offer advantages over systemic steroids alone in the management of sudden sensorineural hearing loss. Further studies with larger sample sizes are required to validate these findings.