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Mini Strokes & Hearing Loss

A mini-stroke, the common name for a transient ischemic attack (TIA), affects the body like a stroke, except that it doesn't normally cause permanent damage. A recent study tentatively linked hearing loss and stroke, causing some to wonder if mini-strokes might cause loss of hearing. This concern appears to be largely unwarranted.

  1. Identification

    • A mini-stroke is "a temporary interruption of blood flow to part of the brain," says Dr. Jerry Swanson on the Mayo Clinic website. Since blood flow resumes, damage is not permanent. In fact, symptoms of a TIA usually disappear within minutes to a few hours. However, you should seek medical attention right away if you suspect you've had a TIA, even though symptoms dissipate, so that you can be properly diagnosed and any treatment or medication necessary can be prescribed.

    Effects

    • TIA can be recognized by the occurrence of stroke-like symptoms. The Healthy Heart Guide online lists the most frequently seen symptoms of a TIA, including vision problems, dizziness, clumsiness, weakness, slurring of the speech, inability to walk, amnesia and unconsciousness. Hearing loss is not on the list of usual symptoms for either stroke or TIA. But one common symptom of stroke could be mistaken for loss of hearing.

    Misconceptions

    • A stroke in the left hemisphere of the brain may affect the speech and language center. This can cause aphasia, which "affects the ability to talk, listen, read and write," according to the article "Stroke Effects" on the American Heart Association's website. A sufferer may have difficulty understanding speech, which could certainly seem like the person is not able to hear what is said.

    Speculations

    • A 2008 study conducted by Herng-Ching Lin of Taipei Medical University School of Health Care Administration made a splash on the Internet, because it seemed to indicate that "sudden loss of hearing might be an early sign of vulnerability to stroke," according to a report about the study on the American Heart Association's site. The researcher cautioned that because of the "many limitations in the data, the results need to be interpreted cautiously until additional independent studies are performed." No similar studies have apparently yet been done.

    Conclusions

    • Hearing loss, even of a temporary nature, does not appear to be associated with TIA. A person experiencing what seems to be a loss of hearing should consider seeking medical advice. A person experiencing any of the common TIA or stroke symptoms listed above and elaborated in the references below should seek immediate medical attention, as a stroke can be life-threatening.

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