Abstract:Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL) is a common disease in otolaryngology. It has a sudden onset, an unknown cause, unilateral presentation being more common. Bilateral SSHL (BSSHL) is relatively rarer. BSSHL is further divided into simultaneous BSSHL (si-BSSHL) and sequential BSSHL (se-BSSHL) according to whether the interval between the onset of both ears is greater than 3 days. BSSHL often results in severe or profound hearing loss, with severe clinical symptoms and high disability rate, and poor prognosis. The etiology and pathogenesis of this disease remain unclear. Current research mainly focuses on factors such as inner ear microcirculation, autoimmune response, and viral infection. This review summarizes the existing research findings, which provides a detailed discussion of the possible causes and mechanisms of BSSHL. The aim of this paper is to provide a basis for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of BSSHL in clinical practice.