Discussion Questions

The physician’s supposition is that the fluctuating hearing loss is going to respond to steroids, and autoimmune problems often do.  Steroids reduce inflammation and are a treatment for idiopathic fluctuating hearing loss.

- What does “idiopathic” mean?

The audiologist underlined the phrase “true episodic vertigo” in the case history because she suspects a different cause to the sensorineural fluctuation.  (The physician may be using steroids to treat that pathology) If you have had a course in auditory pathologies, you may know what the audiologist suspsects.

-What do you think is the pathology she believes is present?