Top Bollywood playback singer Alka Yagnik on Tuesday revealed that she suffered extensive hearing loss while on a personal visit to Goa. The singer added that the hearing loss was caused by a viral attack, reports Lata Mishra.

She had gone to Goa with friends in May when she first began to lose hearing in her right ear. Within 24 hours she lost hearing in her right ear entirely and felt her left ear too getting affected.

The singer’s PR team said all her stage shows, including one in London, have been cancelled. Her manager, Niraj Mishra, said all treatment options are being explored, both within India and abroad.

In an Instagram post, the singer wrote as she walked out of a flight in Goa felt like she couldn’t hear anything. Initially she thought it was because of cabin pressure and that her ear would pop soon, it only became worse as time passed. By evening, she felt, she had lost hearing in her right ear completely.

According to sources at Lilavati Hospital, where she was admitted upon her return from Goa, Yagnik was diagnosed with sensorineural nerve hearing loss. Doctors said that sensorineural nerve hearing loss is hard to reverse. However, there are several treatment options available to manage the symptoms and improve quality of life for those with this condition.

----------------------------------

Alka Yagnik, who ruled the music scene in the ’90s and 2000s, revealed a challenging health diagnosis to her fans with an Instagram post. The singer shared that she has been diagnosed with a rare sensory neural nerve condition caused by a viral infection.

Sharing the update, she wrote, “To all my fans, friends, followers and well wishers. A few weeks ago, as I walked out of a flight, I suddenly felt I was not able to hear anything. Having mustered some courage in the weeks following the episode, I want to break my silence now for all my friends and well wishers who have been asking me why I’m missing in action. It has been diagnosed by my docs as a rare sensory neural nerve hearing loss, due to a viral attack. This setback has caught me completely unaware. As I attempt to come to terms with it, please keep me in your prayers. For my fans and young colleagues, I would add a word of caution regarding exposure to very loud music and headphones. One day, I wish to share the health perils of my professional life. With all your love and support, I am hoping to recalibrate my life and come back to you soon. Your support and understanding will mean the world to me in this critical hour.”

– Inputs by Divya Kaushik & Riya Sharma

While Alka has cautioned her fans and young musicians regarding the exposure to loud music and headphones, Dr Madhukar Bhardwaj, Senior Consultant & HOD, Neurology, says, “Repeated loud music over a period of time can definitely cause hearing loss but it does not cause sudden hearing loss. The sudden hearing loss involves other causes and occurs without any particular cause.”

He adds, “What Alka Yagnik has encountered is a sudden hearing loss. Loud music most certainly wasn’t the cause of her sudden hearing loss.”

Dr Vipul Gupta, director of Neurointervention and co-chief of the stroke unit, says, “Alka Yagnik has been diagnosed with sensory neural nerve hearing loss, a condition where damage to the inner ear or auditory nerve pathways affects one’s ability to perceive sound. This type of hearing loss typically results from aging, prolonged exposure to loud noises, genetic predispositions, infections, or certain medications”