COVID-19 has a few unusual symptoms such as dampening your sense of taste and smell. We know that one of the first symptoms is loss of the sense of smell. But COVID-19 affects more than just your sense of smell and taste. Sensorineural hearing loss is an unusual and long-term issue according to new studies.
How is Hearing Loss Brought on by COVID-19?
Scientists are discovering more about COVID-19 every single day. But there’s still a great deal we don’t know. The virus itself was only first discovered late in 2019. New pathogens normally take years or decades for scientists to describe. And COVIC-19 is particularly difficult because it impacts different people in different ways.
You might experience a wide range of symptoms. And permanent hearing loss is sometimes one of them. Scientists still aren’t sure why that happens. It may be something known as “cellular stress” caused by the virus. According to this hypothesis, COVID places so much strain on your body that some cells (like those responsible for hearing) begin to deteriorate. But this kind of hearing loss could also be the result of your body’s own immune reaction. Considerable damage can be done to your body when your immune system overcompensates.
Additionally, when other COVID symptoms are going away, this hearing loss can still show up. Again, we’re not quite certain why this takes place. Nor do we have a solid grasp of what type of underlying circumstances would cause COVID-related hearing loss to be more or less likely to occur.
Can This Hearing Loss be Managed?
Sensorineural hearing loss from COVID-19 can certainly be permanent. There might be some treatment possibilities depending on specific variables. It’s already been observed that early steroid treatments seem to help protect your hearing from further damage. If you are affected by sudden loss of hearing, you need to consult a doctor.
In either case, once you’ve totally recovered from your COVID-19 experience, it might be a smart idea to visit us and get a hearing test.
But it’s worth noting that there are a few qualifiers to all of this. Hearing loss, first off, is not a very common COVID symptom. We don’t know yet how common this particular symptom is at this point. But as scientists discover more about COVID-19 the science will adjust.
Can COVID Induced Hearing Loss be Prevented?
If you have sudden changes in your hearing and you have COVID-19 get in touch with your doctor and make an appointment for a hearing exam with us. An early response might help reduce lasting hearing loss.
Try to prevent getting sick: Protecting yourself from getting COVID-19 is the best way to prevent this type of hearing loss. So with regards to things such as social distancing, social gatherings, and wearing a mask, stick to the guidelines.
While this particular symptom isn’t common, it still occurs. And the more insight you have about COVID and hearing loss, the better. If you think you’ve already had hearing damage, it’s definitely a good idea to come in and get checked.