Renowned singer Alka Yagnik on Monday, June 17 took to her Instagram which left her loyal fans sad. The Bollywood songstress on social media revealed that she has been diagnosed with a rare sensory neural nerve loss.
Alka Yagnik shared a detailed post on what exactly happened and asked her fans to keep her in their prayers. The crooner also explained the reason why she was missing in action and how this rare sensory neural nerve loss.
While revealing about her rare hearing diagnose in her Instagram post, Alka Yagnik wrote, “To all my fans, friends, followers and well wishers. A few weeks ago, as I walked out of a flight, I suddenly felt I was not able to hear anything. Having mustered some courage in the weeks following the episode, I want to break my silence now for all my friends and well wishers who have been asking me why I’m missing in action (sic).”
The singer continued, “It has been diagnosed by my docs as a rare sensory neural nerve hearing loss, due to a viral attack. This sudden, major setback has caught me completely unawares. As I attempt to come to terms with it please keep me in your prayers (sic).”
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Alka in the same post also requested people to be careful about exposure to loud music and headphones. She shared, “For my fans and young colleagues, I would add a word of caution regarding exposure to very loud music and headphones.”
She added, “One day, I wish to share the health perils of my professional life. With all your love and support I am hoping to recalibrate my life and come back to you soon. Your support and understanding will mean the world to me in this critical hour (sic).”
Dr. Murarji Ghadge, consultant ENT and sleep disorder specialist at Ruby Hall Clinic, Pune told a leading publication, “Sudden hearing loss, like that experienced by singer Alka Yagnik, typically involves a rapid decline in hearing in one ear, occurring overnight or within a few days. This loss can be partial or complete and may be accompanied by a ‘pop’ sound, tinnitus, a feeling of fullness in the ear, dizziness, and occasionally vertigo,”
According to Dr. Ghadge, sudden hearing loss is relatively rare, affecting about 5-20 people per 100,000 annually. He noted that it is often idiopathic, meaning that the exact cause remains unidentified in most cases.
Dr. Sheetal Goyal, neurologist at Wockhardt Hospitals, Mumbai Central shared, “The sudden onset of sensory neural hearing loss (SNHL), especially due to a viral attack, makes it relatively rare compared to gradual forms of hearing loss. Misdiagnosis is common, leading to underreporting, and the specific viral causes of SNHL are less frequent than other causes of hearing loss.”
Dr. Ghadge mentioned that treatment for viral-induced hearing loss typically involves high-dose corticosteroids to reduce inflammation and swelling in the inner ear, administered either orally or through intratympanic injections.
“Antiviral medications might be beneficial if a viral infection is suspected, but their efficacy remains inconclusive and they are not a standard treatment,” he added.
