Abstract:
Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is one of the common emergencies in otorhinolaryngology. Western medical treatment alone has certain limitations in the management of SSNHL. Existing studies have shown that, on the basis of Western medical treatment, combined use of comprehensive traditional Chinese medicine therapies, such as Chinese herbal injections, oral decoctions based on syndrome differentiation, and acupuncture, can produce synergistic and efficacy-enhancing effects. A integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine intervention model can realize complementary advantages and provide new ideas for clinical diagnosis and treatment. This article systematically summarizes recent studies on integrated Chinese and Western medicine interventions for SSNHL. From the perspective of mechanisms of action, it elaborates on the complementary roles of Chinese and Western medicine in anti-inflammatory and immune regulation, improvement of microcirculation, antioxidative stress, and promotion of neural repair, and explores the clinical feasibility of staged and classification-based intervention pathways. This article proposes a staged intervention strategy in which Western medicine plays the leading role in the acute phase, while traditional Chinese medicine provides holistic regulation and consolidation in the recovery phase. This strategy may help improve the treatment response rate, alleviate sequelae such as tinnitus, and enhance patients’ quality of life. At present, integrated Chinese and Western medicine interventions for SSNHL have initially formed a staged intervention model. In the future, more high-quality clinical studies are still needed, and advanced technologies should be used to promote the standardized development of this intervention model.