Tinnitus and Mild Hearing Loss From a Kiss

Hearing loss is a common problem that everyone faces at some point in their life. There are three main types of hearing loss: conductive, sensorineural, and mixed. Conductive hearing loss occurs when an external sound is not able to gain access to the inner ear because of some type of obstruction, e.g., cerumen in the auditory canal and fluid in the middle ear. Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is due to damage to the inner ear, which affects the nerve conduction pathway from the inner ear to the brain. Mixed hearing loss is a combination of both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss. Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is one of the most common types of hearing loss. A kiss on an external auditory canal can create a negative pressure that can affect the bones in the inner ear, therefore causing tinnitus and hearing loss. This case report will discuss sensorineural hearing loss (or sudden sensory neural hearing loss (SSNHL)) caused by an innocent kiss on the patient’s ear.