One of the most unusual symptoms of COVID-19 is that it’s able to temporarily dampen your senses of taste and smell. We recognize that one of the first symptoms is loss of smell. But COVID-19 affects more than just your sense of taste and smell. Sensorineural hearing loss is an unusual and lasting issue according to new studies.
How is Hearing Loss Caused by COVID-19?
Scientists are learning more about COVID-19 every single day. But we’re really in the dark in many ways. The virus itself was only first discovered in late 2019. New pathogens normally take years or even decades for scientists to describe. One thing we do know about COVID is that it impacts different individuals in countless different ways (making it an especially difficult and challenging nemesis).
There are a wide variety of symptoms you can suffer from. And one of those symptoms is irreversible hearing loss. Why this happens is still not known. It might be something known as “cellular stress” caused by the virus. According to this hypothesis, COVID puts so much stress on your body that some cells (such as those responsible for hearing) begin to deteriorate. But your body’s own immune response might also be responsible for this type of hearing loss. Sometimes, your immune system can go into overdrive and winds up causing considerable damage to your body.
It’s also worth pointing out that occasionally this hearing loss can first present when other COVID symptoms are on their way out. Again, we aren’t quite certain why this takes place. Nor do we have a good understanding of what type of underlying conditions would cause COVID-related hearing loss to be more or less likely to happen.
Is There Any Treatment For This Kind of Hearing Loss?
Permanent sensorineural hearing loss is possible with COVID-19. Naturally, there are a lot of variables, and there are some treatments, too. It’s already been observed that early steroid treatments seem to help protect your hearing from added damage. It’s essential to see a doctor right away if you experience sudden loss of hearing.
Either way, once you’ve fully recovered from your COVID-19 situation, it might be a smart idea to visit us and get a hearing screening.
But it’s worth noting that there are a few qualifiers to all of this. Hearing loss, first off, isn’t a very common COVID symptom. Right now, we’re not certain how prevalent this symptom is. But as scientists discover more about COVID-19 the science will adjust.
Can You Avoid COVID-Related Hearing Loss?
If you have sudden changes in your hearing and you have COVID-19 contact your doctor and schedule a hearing exam with us. An early response might help reduce long-term hearing loss.
Try to remain healthy: The best way to prevent COVID-related hearing loss is to do whatever you can to steer clear of contracting COVID in the first place. This means following guidelines when it comes to social gatherings, physical distancing, and wearing a mask.
This symptom does occur though it’s rare. And the more information you have about COVID and hearing loss, the better. It’s a good idea to come in for a test if you think you have suffered hearing damage.