One of the most uncommon symptoms of COVID-19 is that it’s able to temporarily dampen your senses of taste and smell. Indeed, loss of smell is often one of the initial 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 lasting problem according to new studies.
How is Hearing Loss Brought on by COVID-19?
Every day scientists are learning more about COVID-19. But we’re really in the dark in a lot of ways. The virus itself was only first observed late in 2019. New pathogens normally take years or decades for scientists to identify. And COVIC-19 can be particularly challenging 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 certain why that happens. It could be something called “cellular stress” caused by the virus. According to this hypothesis, COVID places so much strain on your body that some cells (such as those responsible for hearing) start to deteriorate. But your body’s own immune response may also be responsible for this type of hearing loss. On occasion, your immune system can go into overdrive and winds up causing significant damage to your body.
Additionally, when other COVID symptoms are going away, this hearing loss can still show up. The actual timing isn’t precisely understood. We are also clueless why it’s more or less likely to happen.
Is There Any Treatment For This Kind of Hearing Loss?
Sensorineural hearing loss caused by COVID-19 can definitely be permanent. Needless to say, there are a lot of variables, and there are a few treatments, too. It’s already been discovered that early steroid treatments seem to help protect your hearing from additional damage. If you do experience sudden loss of hearing, you need to consult a doctor.
Having a hearing exam after your COVID has passed is always a smart idea.
There are a few qualifiers to all of this that should be pointed out. Hearing loss, first off, isn’t a very common COVID symptom. We don’t know yet how prevalent this particular symptom is at this point. But it’s likely that the science on COVID will keep updating and changing as scientists discover more.
Can You Avoid COVID-Related Hearing Loss?
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 test with us. Long-term hearing loss can be reduced by quick response.
Try to prevent getting sick: 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 following guidelines in regards to social gatherings, physical distancing, and wearing a mask.
While this particular symptom isn’t common, it still happens. And you will be a lot better off with more knowledge about hearing loss and COIVID. If you think you’ve already had hearing damage, it’s probably a good idea to come in and get evaluated.