Popular singer Alka Yagnik has been diagnosed with a rare sensorineural hearing loss

Playback singer Alka Yagnik recently shocked her fans when she announced that she had been diagnosed with a rare sensorineural hearing loss a few weeks ago. According to the singer, she was completely surprised by the “sudden, severe setback.” In a post on Instagram on Monday evening, 58-year-old Yagnik said she had been diagnosed with “sensorineural hearing loss” due to a viral attack.
“To all my fans, friends, followers and everyone who wishes me well. When I got off a plane a few weeks ago, I suddenly felt like I couldn’t hear anything anymore. After gathering some courage in the weeks following the incident, I now want to break my silence for all my friends and everyone who has asked me why I am missing.
“My doctors have diagnosed a rare sensorineural hearing loss due to a viral attack… This sudden, severe setback has taken me completely by surprise,” wrote the two-time National Award winner. As the news spread, questions arose about what could have suddenly struck the singer, one of Bollywood’s most popular singers, and what would happen next.

The condition is reversible, said Dr Suresh Singh Naruka, senior ENT specialist at Delhi’s Apollo Hospital. “The sooner you go to the doctor and start treatment, the better the chances of your organ functioning again,” Naruka told PTI.
Yagnik, known for songs like “Ek Do Teen”, “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” and “Gali Mein Aaj Chand Nikla”, asked her fans and followers to send her their best wishes and keep her in their prayers. In her post, she also warned people against listening to “very loud music and headphones”. “One day, I want to share the health hazards of my professional life. With all your love and support, I hope to refocus my life and come back to you soon. Your support and understanding will mean the world to me in this critical hour,” she said.

Like any other organ, the ear can experience failures that lead to sudden hearing loss, Naruka explained. “Sudden hearing loss in the ear is called sudden sensorineural neural hearing loss… viruses are one such cause.”
“Sometimes sudden hearing loss can occur for no apparent reason or perhaps due to poor blood supply… A virus, an idiopathic disease (cause unknown) or sometimes a tumor – there are so many reasons for sudden organ failure that can lead to severe hearing loss, sometimes in one or both ears,” Naruka said.
For sudden hearing loss, the standard treatment is steroids. “They can be given orally or intratympanically. In this case, steroid injections are given directly into the ear to re-stimulate the organ. Then there is hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which treats medical conditions by delivering 100 percent oxygen with a little more pressure in a special chamber,” Naruka said.

When asked if Yagnik’s condition had worsened due to excessive noise exposure as a singer, Naruka said that sudden hearing loss could not be job-specific. “We understand the world with three senses: hearing, sight and touch. After that come the other two senses, taste and smell, but they are not as important as the first three. To communicate better in the world, we need good hearing, good vision and a good sense of touch.”
However, as a precautionary measure, Naruka urged people to avoid noise pollution or trauma. “Using hearing aids such as Bluetooth, iPods and speakers for a long period of time can cause sudden hearing loss. A viral fever and/or ear infection can cause hearing loss. We must avoid noise pollution at all costs,” he added.
Soon after her post went viral, Yagnik’s colleagues – singers Sonu Nigam, Shankar Mahadevan and Ila Arun and veteran actor Poonam Dhillon – wished her a speedy recovery.
“I had a feeling something was wrong… I will visit you as soon as I am back… May you get well soon with God’s grace,” Nigam commented on Yagnik’s post. Mahadevan said, “Praying for your speedy recovery Alkaji!! You will be perfectly healthy and back to your usual good spirits! Lots of love and best wishes.”
Arun said she was confident that Yagnik would recover with the help of “blessings and the best doctors of today.” “Soon we will hear your sweet voice. I love you, always take care,” she added.
“So much love for you and so many duas and blessings. You will receive all the power of love to heal and be your beautiful, healthy self again soon. Love you,” Dhillon said.