If you’re subjected to a lot of loud sound and don’t wear hearing protection, you may experience hearing loss down the road. Likewise, if you work on a noisy factory floor and don’t use ear protection, hearing loss might be in your future. These hearing loss causes are fairly common. But within the last few years, a new cause has surfaced. Yup, you guessed it, Covid-19.
That’s correct, the same illness that’s been turning the world upside down for the last couple of years might also be responsible for hearing loss.
Maybe? Probably? Alright, we’re still in the early stages of completely understanding Covid-19. And something new about it is being discovered constantly by scientists. Some research does suggest that Covid-19 is linked to hearing loss, but that research is also somewhat early and is still waiting for more facts to back it up. So let’s have a look at where things stand at the moment.
So can hearing loss be caused by Covid-19?
So here’s the first thing to keep in mind: There’s utterly no proof that the Covid-19 vaccine causes hearing loss. All of the presently approved vaccines have this in common. That’s just not how these vaccines work, they don’t affect your ears at all. It would be like blaming your diabetes on the salad you ate for dinner.
This goes for the brand new mRNA vaccines and the more conventional ones. For most people, the risks are vastly outweighed by the benefits. If you have questions about vaccines, make sure to speak with your doctor, and get information from a reputable source.
Okay… with that out of the way, let’s discuss hearing loss.
So, how can Covid trigger hearing loss?
But, how can this cause hearing loss? Specifically, how does this cause sensorineural hearing loss, the type of hearing loss that is the result of damage to your auditory system and is generally permanent?
Scientists have a couple of hypotheses. These theories, we should mention, aren’t always mutually exclusive. They can both be relevant!
Theory #1: inflammation
Covid-19 creates inflammation in your upper respiratory tract, and the idea is that this inflammation eventually affects your ears. Your ears, nose, and mouth are all connected, after all. This may result in hearing loss in a couple of ways:
- Fluid buildup: Fluid has a harder time draining because inflammation has made the drainage pathways more narrow. It becomes more and more difficult to hear as this fluid continues to accumulate. Once the symptoms clear up, your hearing will normally go back to normal (if this occurs, you’re not dealing with sensorineural hearing loss).
- Damaged cells: It’s important to keep in mind that viruses reproduce by taking over your body’s own cells. This can lead to damage. Sometimes, damage to the vascular connections between your brain and your ears happens because of the way Covid affects your vascular system. This would be considered sensorineural hearing loss, and would probably be essentially permanent.
Steroids are sometimes prescribed when hearing loss is a result of inflammation. There’s still a continuing effort by scientists to discover a way to prevent sensorineural hearing loss. It’s unclear, based on this research, just how much protection vaccines give you against this kind of damage, but it’s safe to say it’s better than no protection.
Theory #2: Long Covid
The next theory is more significant in regards to patients’ experience, but a little less comprehended in terms of cause and effect. There’s something called Long Covid which you, by now, have probably heard about.
Patients will go through symptoms of Covid when they are dealing with Long Covid, long after they have recovered from the actual virus. Often, a debilitating bout of long Covid that lasts for months, or longer, after having Covid itself, is experienced. There’s no doubt, Long Covid is real, but scientists are still unsure why.
Data about long-term hearing difficulties was systematically reviewed by scientists and a report was published in February 2021. Here’s what the review discovered:
- After having Covid, hearing loss was reported by 7.6% of people.
- 14.8% reported developing tinnitus
- 7.2% of individuals reported vertigo
There’s definitely a connection between Long Covid and hearing problems, but it’s unknown if there’s a direct cause and effect association. A host of symptoms, including hearing issues, come from Long Covid.
Evidence or Anecdote?
It’s anecdotal when somebody states that their hearing has been off since they got Covid. It’s only one person’s story. And while it’s a fact of life for them, it isn’t actually enough for scientists to go on when developing treatment guidance. That’s why research is so critical.
As researchers obtain more evidence that these hearing difficulties are fairly prevalent, they’re able to generate a clearer understanding of the hazards associated with Covid-19.
Of course, there’s still more to understand. Research is continuing, which means the link between Covid-19 and hearing loss isn’t actually proven or unproven. It’s important to seek help as soon as you can regardless of how your hearing loss developed. So if you suspect your hearing isn’t what it used to be, give us a call to schedule an appointment.
References
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2022.883749/full
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14992027.2021.1896793?journalCode=iija20&