One of the most uncommon symptoms of COVID-19 is that it’s able to temporarily deaden your senses of taste and smell. We recognize that one of the first signs is loss of smell. But your sense of smell and taste aren’t the only sense affected by COVID-19. New discoveries are uncovering an unusual, but longer-term problem: long lasting sensorineural hearing loss.
How is Hearing Loss Caused by COVID-19?
Scientists are discovering more about COVID-19 each day. But we’re really in the dark in a lot of ways. 2019 is when the virus was first observed. New pathogens usually take years or even decades for scientists to identify. And COVIC-19 can be particularly difficult because it impacts different people in different ways.
You may experience a wide array of symptoms. And irreversible hearing loss is sometimes one of them. Why this occurs is still not evident. It might be something known as “cellular stress” caused by the virus. According to this theory, COVID places so much stress on your body that certain cells (such as those responsible for hearing) begin to break down. But your body’s own immune response might also be responsible for this type of hearing loss. Considerable damage can be done to your body when your immune system goes into overdrive.
Additionally, when other COVID symptoms are going away, this hearing loss can still become apparent. The exact timing isn’t precisely known. We are also clueless why it’s more or less likely to occur.
Is There Any Treatment For This Type of Hearing Loss?
Sensorineural hearing loss caused by COVID-19 can definitely be permanent. There may 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 additional damage. If you do experience sudden loss of hearing, you need to talk to a doctor.
Either way, once you’ve completely recovered from your COVID-19 situation, it may be a smart move to visit us and have a hearing test.
There are a couple of qualifiers to all of this that should be pointed out. First and foremost, hearing loss does appear to be a relatively uncommon symptom of COVID. At the moment, we’re not certain how prevalent this symptom is. But as scientists learn 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 contact your doctor and schedule a hearing examination with us. Lasting hearing loss can be minimized by quick response.
Try to stay healthy: The best way to protect against COVID-related hearing loss is to do everything possible to steer clear of contracting COVID in the first place. This means sticking with guidelines in regards to social gatherings, physical distancing, and wearing a mask.
This symptom does occur though it’s rare. And you will be substantially better off with more insight about hearing loss and COIVID. It’s a good choice to come in for a test if you think you have suffered hearing damage.