COVID-19 has some unusual symptoms like dampening your sense of taste and smell. We know that one of the first symptoms is loss of smell. But COVID-19 affects more than just your sense of smell and taste. Sensorineural hearing loss is an unusual and lasting problem according to new studies.
How is Hearing Loss Brought on by COVID-19?
Scientists are discovering more about COVID-19 each day. But we’re truly in the dark in many ways. The virus itself was only first discovered in late 2019. New pathogens often take years or even decades for scientists to identify. One thing we do know about COVID is that it impacts different people in many different ways (making it an especially difficult and challenging problem).
There are a multitude of symptoms you can suffer from. And one of those symptoms is irreversible hearing loss. Why this happens is still unknown. The virus might be causing a response known as “cellular stress”. Based on this theory, COVID puts so much stress on your body that some cells (like those responsible for hearing) begin to break down. 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 pointing out that sometimes this hearing loss can first appear when other COVID symptoms are almost gone. Again, we’re not really certain why this occurs. We also have no clue why it’s more or less likely to happen.
Is There Any Treatment For This Type of Hearing Loss?
Permanent sensorineural hearing loss is possible with COVID-19. There might be a few treatment possibilities depending on specific variables. It’s already been observed that early steroid treatments seem to help protect your hearing from added damage. If you do experience sudden loss of hearing, you should talk to a doctor.
Either way, once you’ve completely recovered from your COVID-19 experience, it might be a good move to visit us and undergo a hearing screening.
There are a couple of qualifiers to all of this that are worth pointing out. First and foremost, hearing loss does appear to be a relatively uncommon symptom of COVID. We don’t know yet how widespread this particular symptom is yet. But as scientists learn more about COVID-19 the science will change.
Can COVID Related Hearing Loss be Avoided?
Right now, if you’re already suffering with COVID, you need to let us or your doctor know as soon as possible if you have any sudden change to your hearing. An early response might help decrease lasting hearing loss.
Try to remain healthy: The best way to protect against COVID-related hearing loss is to do whatever you can to steer clear of contracting COVID in the first place. This means sticking with guidelines when it comes to social gatherings, physical distancing, and wearing a mask.
While this particular symptom is uncommon, it still occurs. And the more facts you have about COVID and hearing loss, the better. It’s a good choice to come in for a test if you think you’ve suffered hearing damage.