Recurrent unilateral sensorineural hearing loss – always left ear, with spontaneous full recovery
Hi everyone,
I am 41 years old and have been experiencing recurrent episodes affecting only my left ear for almost ten years. I am posting here because despite several ENT consultations and investigations, no clear cause has ever been found.
Edit:
Relevant medical history: I was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL/AML M3) in 2001, when I was a teenager. I was successfully treated with chemotherapy and cranial irradiation and have fortunately remained healthy since then, with no recurrence of the leukemia. More than two decades have now passed since the treatment, and I have three healthy children. Given my history, however, I have sometimes wondered whether the recurrent problems in my left ear could represent a very late effect of the chemotherapy and/or cranial radiotherapy, for example through damage or increased vulnerability of the inner ear, auditory nerve, microvasculature, or surrounding tissues. I do not know whether there is any plausible connection, particularly since the hearing problems did not begin until many years after treatment and have been episodic and fully reversible rather than steadily progressive. I would therefore be particularly interested to hear from anyone with a similar history of childhood/adolescent cancer treatment or from anyone familiar with late ototoxic effects of chemotherapy or cranial irradiation.
The basic pattern has been remarkably similar each time.
I develop a sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in my left ear, apparently affecting a similar frequency range during the different episodes. It is often accompanied by a low-pitched humming/roaring or droning sensation. This does not feel like the high-pitched tinnitus I would associate with noise exposure. Sometimes I also experience strange sensations inside/around the ear, including occasional sharp, stabbing pain and an itching or tingling sensation. I have never experienced any vertigo, maybe a slight dizziness (but I'm not sure about that).
What is particularly striking is that every episode so far has eventually resolved completely. The episodes can last for several weeks, but my hearing has always returned to normal.
The recovery can be surprisingly sudden. On several occasions I noticed a very pleasant rushing/"white noise" sensation in the affected ear shortly before or during recovery – almost like the sensation of a numb limb "waking up" again. After that, my hearing improved dramatically, sometimes within a very short period.
On one occasion I was lying in an unusual position with my neck considerably extended when I suddenly heard/felt a distinct "crack". Immediately afterwards the ear felt different and more relaxed. Within about an hour, accompanied by the rushing sensation, my hearing returned to normal.
During another episode several years ago, I had severe low-frequency roaring for approximately three weeks while on holiday. During the journey home I already felt that something was changing, and by the following morning my hearing was essentially normal again.
There are several recurring circumstances that I have noticed over the years:
1. Respiratory infections:
The episodes have repeatedly occurred roughly 2–3 weeks after a cold/upper respiratory infection. During the current episode I again have mild cold-like symptoms involving my nose and throat.
2. Nasal/allergic symptoms:
I have allergies, including a strong grass/ryegrass allergy. In every single episodes one of the main leading symptoms was unusually thick, clear to whitish mucus, draining into my throat from time to time troughout the day. The current episode again coincides with considerable thick mucus. My episodes also tend to occur between early and late summer, which made me wonder whether allergies could be a contributing factor.
3. Heavy lifting/straining:
Looking back, heavy physical straining seems to have preceded several episodes. In 2025, for example, I had been carrying heavy bags of concrete. Before the current episode I had to lift and move a very heavy cabinet, and the hearing loss became more noticeable afterwards. I do not know whether this is relevant or coincidental.
4. Psychological stress:
This is another striking pattern. Previous episodes occurred during periods of considerable psychological stress. I have even experienced occasions during intense emotional stress when my left ear seemed to change/"close up" almost immediately.
The present episode intensified at approximately the same time as a major stressful event at work. Interestingly, this episode seems milder than previous ones: I can hear better than during earlier attacks and the droning/roaring is less intense.
I previously had a significant vitamin D deficiency (25-OH vitamin D was 13.5 ng/mL in early 2025). I have supplemented vitamin D since then and my current level is 37.22 ng/mL. I therefore wonder whether correcting the deficiency might have reduced the severity of the current episode, although obviously this is only speculation.
I have previously been treated with oral corticosteroids during some attacks, particularly the earlier ones. As far as I could tell, steroids made little or no difference. More recent episodes resolved spontaneously without steroid treatment.
An MRI was performed after one of the earlier episodes to rule out a cerebellopontine-angle tumour/acoustic neuroma (vestibular schwannoma), and it was negative.
What puzzles me most is the recurrent pattern:
same ear (left) → similar sensorineural hearing loss (1000-2000 Hz) → often following infection/allergy, major stress and/or physical strain → weeks of symptoms → almost always very sudden improvement → complete recovery of hearing.
After almost ten years of episodes every single year, I would really like to understand what mechanism could produce this.
Has anyone experienced a similar pattern of recurrent unilateral SNHL with complete recovery between episodes, particularly involving mid- to low-frequency hearing loss/roaring? Have conditions such as cochlear/endolymphatic hydrops, migraine-related inner-ear disorders, inflammatory or post-viral inner-ear disease, allergy, pressure-related mechanisms or stress/autonomic factors been considered in your case?