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 first signs of infection. But your sense of smell and taste aren’t the only sense impacted by COVID-19. Sensorineural hearing loss is an unusual and lasting problem according to new studies.
How is Hearing Loss Caused by COVID-19?
Scientists are learning more about COVID-19 each day. But there’s still a lot we don’t know. 2019 is when the virus was first discovered. Normally, scientists work for years, if not decades, to thoroughly identify a new pathogen. 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).
You could experience a wide variety of symptoms. And permanent hearing loss is sometimes one of them. Scientists still aren’t sure why that is. The virus might be creating a response known as “cellular stress”. According to this hypothesis, COVID places so much stress on your body that some cells (like those responsible for hearing) start to deteriorate. But your body’s own immune response could also be responsible for this kind of hearing loss. Sometimes, your immune system can go into high gear and winds up contributing to considerable damage to your body.
It’s also worth noting that sometimes this hearing loss can first appear when other COVID symptoms are almost gone. Again, we aren’t really certain why this happens. Nor do we have a solid grasp of what sort of underlying circumstances might cause COVID-related hearing loss to become more or less likely to take place.
Is There Any Treatment For This Type of Hearing Loss?
Irreversible sensorineural hearing loss is possible as a result of COVID-19. There might be some treatment options depending on certain variables. It’s already been discovered that early steroid treatments appear to help protect your hearing from further damage. It’s important to see a doctor as soon as possible if you experience sudden loss of hearing.
Having a hearing test after your COVID has passed is always a good idea.
But it’s worth noting that there are a couple of qualifiers to all of this. First of all, hearing loss does seem to be a relatively uncommon symptom of COVID. We don’t know yet how common this particular symptom is yet. But as scientists discover more about COVID-19 the science will change.
Can COVID Related Hearing Loss be Avoided?
Right now, if you already have COVID, you should let us or your doctor know right away if hearing changes suddenly. An early response may help lessen long-term hearing loss.
Try to stay 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 in regards to social gatherings, physical distancing, and wearing a mask.
This symptom does occur though it’s rare. And you will be a lot better off with more knowledge about hearing loss and COIVID. It’s a good decision to come in for an assessment if you think you’ve suffered hearing damage.