One of the most unusual symptoms of COVID-19 is that it’s able to temporarily deaden your senses of smell and taste. Indeed, loss of smell is often one of the first signs of infection. But COVID-19 impacts more than just your sense of smell and taste. Sensorineural hearing loss is an uncommon and lasting issue according to new findings.
How Can COVID-19 Result In Hearing Loss?
Every day scientists are learning more with regards to COVID-19. But there’s still a great deal we don’t understand. The virus itself was only first discovered in late 2019. Normally, scientists work for years, if not decades, to completely identify a new pathogen. One thing we do know about COVID is that it affects different individuals in a lot of different ways (making it an especially tricky and challenging nemesis).
You may experience a wide range of symptoms. And one of those symptoms is permanent hearing loss. Scientists still aren’t certain why that happens. The virus might be creating a reaction called “cellular stress”. Some cells (like the cells in your ear) will begin to breakdown, according to this hypothesis, because the virus puts so much strain on the body. But your body’s own immune response might also be responsible for this kind of hearing loss. Occasionally, your immune system can go into overdrive and ends up causing significant damage to your body.
Additionally, when other COVID symptoms are going away, this hearing loss can still show up. The exact timing isn’t really known. We also don’t have a solid grasp of what kind of underlying conditions would cause COVID-related hearing loss to become more or less likely to occur.
Is There Any Treatment For This Type of Hearing Loss?
Permanent sensorineural hearing loss is possible as a result of COVID-19. There might be some treatment possibilities depending on specific variables. As a matter of fact, researchers have noticed already that steroid treatments appear to help protect your hearing, especially if you undergo early treatment. It’s important to see a doctor as soon as possible if you experience sudden loss of hearing.
Getting a hearing exam after your COVID has passed is always a smart idea.
There are a couple of qualifiers to all of this that are worth pointing out. Hearing loss, first off, isn’t a very common COVID symptom. At the moment, we’re not sure how prevalent this symptom is. But it’s likely that the science on COVID will keep updating and changing as scientists discover more.
Can COVID Induced Hearing Loss be Avoided?
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 examination with us. An early response may help lessen long-term hearing loss.
Try to avoid getting sick: The best way to prevent COVID-related hearing loss is to do whatever you can to avoid getting COVID in the first place. So with regards to things such as social distancing, social gatherings, and wearing a mask, follow the guidelines.
While this specific symptom isn’t common, it still occurs. And you will be substantially better off with more insight about hearing loss and COIVID. It’s a good idea to come in for a test if you think you have suffered hearing damage.