COVID-19 has a few uncommon symptoms such as dampening your sense of smell and taste. Indeed, loss of smell is often one of the initial symptoms 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 permanent issue according to new findings.
How Can COVID-19 Cause Hearing Loss?
Scientists are learning more about COVID-19 every single day. But we’re truly in the dark in a lot of ways. 2019 is when the virus was first observed. Normally, scientists work for years, if not decades, to completely identify a new pathogen. One thing we do know about COVID is that it impacts different individuals in countless different ways (making it a particularly tricky and challenging problem).
You could experience a wide range of symptoms. And irreversible hearing loss is sometimes one of them. Researchers still aren’t certain why that happens. The virus could be causing a response known as “cellular stress”. Based on this theory, COVID places so much strain on your body that certain cells (such as those responsible for hearing) start to deteriorate. But your body’s own immune response could also be responsible for this type of hearing loss. Occasionally, your immune system can go into high gear and ends up causing significant damage to your body.
It’s also worth mentioning that occasionally this hearing loss can first present when other COVID symptoms are on their way out. The actual timing isn’t really known. Nor do we have a good understanding of what kind of underlying conditions would cause COVID-related hearing loss to be more or less likely to happen.
Is There Any Treatment For This Sort of Hearing Loss?
Sensorineural hearing loss from COVID-19 can definitely be permanent. There might be some treatment possibilities depending on specific variables. It’s already been observed that early steroid treatments seem to help protect your hearing from further damage. If you are affected by sudden loss of hearing, you need to consult a doctor.
Having a hearing test after your COVID has passed is always a smart idea.
But it’s worth noting that there are a few qualifiers to all of this. First and foremost, hearing loss does appear 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 adjust.
Can You Prevent COVID-Induced Hearing Loss?
Presently, if you’re already suffering with COVID, you need to let us or your doctor know as soon as possible if hearing changes suddenly. An early response could help minimize lasting hearing loss.
Try to stay healthy: The best way to prevent COVID-related hearing loss is to do whatever you can to steer clear of getting COVID in the first place. So when it comes to things such as social distancing, social gatherings, and wearing a mask, stick to the guidelines.
While this specific symptom isn’t common, it still happens. And you will be a lot better off with more insight about hearing loss and COIVID. If you think you’ve already suffered hearing damage, it’s probably a good idea to come in and get evaluated.