COVID-19 has a few uncommon symptoms including dampening your sense of smell and taste. Indeed, loss of smell is often one of the initial symptoms of infection. But COVID-19 impacts more than just your sense of smell and taste. Sensorineural hearing loss is an unusual and long-term problem according to new findings.
How is Hearing Loss Caused by COVID-19?
Scientists are learning more about COVID-19 each day. But we’re truly in the dark in a lot of ways. The virus itself was only first discovered late in 2019. Normally, scientists work for years, if not decades, to thoroughly describe a new pathogen. One thing we’re discovering about COVID is that it affects different people in many different ways (making it a really tricky and challenging problem).
You might experience a wide range of symptoms. And irreversible hearing loss is sometimes one of them. Why this happens is still not evident. It may be something called “cellular stress” caused by the virus. Some cells (such as the cells in your ear) will start to breakdown, according to this theory, because the virus puts so much strain on the body. But this kind of hearing loss may also be the result of your body’s own immune reaction. Considerable damage can be done to your body when your immune system overcompensates.
It’s also worth pointing out that occasionally this hearing loss can first appear when other COVID symptoms are almost gone. The actual timing isn’t precisely known. Nor do we have a good understanding of what sort of underlying circumstances might cause COVID-related hearing loss to be more or less likely to happen.
Can This Hearing Loss be Managed?
Sensorineural hearing loss caused by COVID-19 can definitely be permanent. There may be a few treatment options depending on certain variables. It’s already been discovered that early steroid treatments appear to help protect your hearing from further damage. It’s important to see a doctor right away if you experience sudden hearing loss.
Either way, once you’ve fully recovered from your COVID-19 situation, it may be a smart move to visit us and get a hearing examination.
There are a few qualifiers to all of this that are worth pointing out. First of all, hearing loss does seem to be a fairly uncommon symptom of COVID. Right now, we’re not certain how common this symptom is. But it’s likely that the science on COVID will continue to update and change as scientists discover more.
Can COVID Induced Hearing Loss be Prevented?
Presently, if you already have COVID, you should let us or your doctor know right away if hearing changes suddenly. Long-term hearing loss can be decreased by rapid response.
Try to remain healthy: Safeguarding yourself from getting COVID-19 is the best way to prevent this type of hearing loss. This means following guidelines regarding social gatherings, physical distancing, and wearing a mask.
While this particular symptom isn’t common, it still occurs. And you will be substantially better off with more knowledge about hearing loss and COIVID. It’s a good choice to come in for an assessment if you think you’ve suffered hearing damage.