The standard of care treatment of sudden hearing loss uses a type of steroid called
glucocorticoid. Examples of glucocorticoids are prednisone, methylprednisolone and
dexamethasone. Not everybody recovers hearing with glucocorticoid treatment. Fludrocortisone
is a different type of steroid called mineralocorticoid. Unlike glucocorticoids, which work
by reducing inflammation, mineralocorticoids work by changing salt and fluid balance. In
animal studies, fludrocortisone is at least as effective as glucocorticoid in preserving
hearing. Fludrocortisone is not approved for the treatment of sudden hearing loss. The
purpose of this study is to test whether fludrocortisone can treat sudden hearing loss.