OBJECTIVE To assess the effect of treatment on acute low-tone sensorineural hearing loss and the related factors on the prognosis. METHODS A total of 398 inpatients with sudden deafness were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 41 cases were diagnosed as acute low-tone hearing loss and then subjected to combined treatment with glucocorticoids. The relativity between patients' gender, disease duration and age of onset and curative effect were analyzed. RESULTS The acute low-tone sensorineural hearing loss accounted for 10.30% of sudden deafness. Among which, female cases were significantly more than men, accounting for 70.73% of the total. At the first diagnosis, the average hearing threshold of three low tones was (48.43 +/- 11.67) dB against (18.86 +/- 9.40) dB of three high tones. After treatment, those two values were (27.07 +/- 11. 52) dB and (17.60 +/- 9.15) dB, respectively. There was statistical difference between three low tones and three high tones before treatment (t = 15.42, P < 0.01). There was statistical difference for three low tones before and after treatment (t = 10.69, P < 0.01) while there was no difference for the high ones before and after treatment(t = 1.93, P > 0.05). No obvious difference of the cure rate and effectiveness was found between male and female patients (P > 0.05). The incidence of acute low-tone sensorineural hearing loss was high in the age range of 21-40 years, accounting for 68.29% of the total. The cure rates were statistically different between patients less than 40 years old and 41-60 years old (chi2 = 6.662, P < 0.05), but the effectiveness had no difference (P > 0.05). There was no difference of cure rate and effectiveness between those with duration less than or equal to 7 days and those with more than 7 days (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The combined therapy with glucocorticoids shows good effects on treating acute low-tone sensorineural hearing loss. Neither gender nor duration affect the prognosis. Age of onset is related to the prognosis.