COVID-19 has some unusual symptoms like dampening your sense of smell and taste. Indeed, loss of smell is often one of the first signs of infection. But your sense of smell and taste aren’t the only sense affected by COVID-19. Sensorineural hearing loss is an uncommon and permanent issue according to new studies.
How Can COVID-19 Result In Hearing Loss?
Each day scientists are finding out more about COVID-19. But we’re really in the dark in many ways. 2019 is when the virus was first discovered. Usually, scientists work for years, if not decades, to fully identify a new pathogen. One thing we do know about COVID is that it affects different individuals in many different ways (making it a particularly difficult and challenging problem).
There are numerous symptoms you can experience. And one of those symptoms is permanent hearing loss. Why this occurs is still not known. It might be something known as “cellular stress” caused by the virus. Certain cells (such as the cells in your ear) will start to breakdown, according to this theory, because the virus places so much strain on the body. But your body’s own immune response could also be responsible for this type of hearing loss. Significant damage can be done to your body when your immune system overcompensates.
It’s also worth mentioning that occasionally this hearing loss can first present when other COVID symptoms are on their way out. Again, we aren’t really sure why this happens. We are also clueless why it’s more or less likely to occur.
Can This Hearing Loss be Treated?
Sensorineural hearing loss from COVID-19 can indeed be permanent. Naturally, there are countless variables, and there are a few treatments, too. It’s already been observed that early steroid treatments seem to help protect your hearing from further damage. If you do experience sudden loss of hearing, you should speak with a doctor.
In either case, once you’ve fully recovered from your COVID-19 situation, it might be a smart move to visit us and undergo a hearing examination.
There are several qualifiers to all of this that are worth pointing out. First of all, hearing loss does appear to be a fairly uncommon symptom of COVID. We don’t know yet how common this particular symptom is at this point. But as scientists learn more about COVID-19 the science will change.
Can You Avoid COVID-Related Hearing Loss?
If you have sudden changes in your hearing and you have COVID-19 contact your doctor and make an appointment for a hearing exam with us. An early response might help decrease long-term hearing loss.
Try to stay healthy: The best way to prevent COVID-related hearing loss is to do everything possible to avoid contracting COVID in the first place. This means following guidelines when it comes to social gatherings, physical distancing, and wearing a mask.
While this specific symptom isn’t common, it still happens. And you will be a lot better off with more knowledge about hearing loss and COIVID. It’s a good decision to come in for an assessment if you think you have suffered hearing damage.