It’s an amazing and wonderful experience, having a baby. But when it comes to how it can make you feel, it can be rather unpleasant, at least in some cases. There’s the morning sickness, the difference in your body, the health hazards, and all sorts of weird side effects. Getting there can be somewhat of a process, but that doesn’t detract from the happiness of being a parent.
And now we can add hearing loss to that list of disadvantages.
Pregnancy isn’t typically the first thing you think of when someone is talking about hearing loss. So it may be surprising to learn that pregnancy-related hearing loss is rather prevalent. It’s not a bad idea to keep an eye out for these symptoms. Pregnancy-associated hearing loss isn’t something you should be worried about in most cases. Unfortunately, sometimes the cause is a more serious issue that could call for swift medical attention. Will pregnancy-related hearing loss subside? Well, it could be, depending on how fast you treat it and what the underlying cause is.
Pregnancy-induced hearing loss symptoms
Hearing loss during pregnancy doesn’t appear on many sitcoms or in very many romantic comedies. Things like morning sickness are a lot more cinematic. This means that, generally speaking, individuals may be less likely to anticipate pregnancy-related hearing loss. So knowing what to watch out for can be helpful.
Pregnancy-related hearing loss is about more than simply turning the volume up on your devices, after all. The most prevalent symptoms include the following:
- Headaches and migraines: You may also experience an increase in the number of headaches or migraines you have regularly.
- Tinnitus: Pregnancy-related hearing loss is frequently associated with tinnitus, or a ringing or buzzing in the ears. The rhythm and sound of your tinnitus symptoms can, in some cases, sound like your own heartbeat which is known as “pulsatile tinnitus”. You should speak with your physician about your tinnitus, whether hearing loss is also present or not.
- Everything seems quieter: Certainly, this is probably the most evident indication of hearing loss. But if it occurs suddenly, it’s something called “sudden sensorineural hearing loss”. Any form of abrupt hearing loss during pregnancy should be conveyed to your healthcare team as soon as possible. In order to prevent sudden hearing loss from becoming permanent, you might need emergency treatment.
- You feel plugged in your ears: Pregnancy-related hearing loss may in some cases be accompanied by a feeling of being plugged or fullness in your ears.
- Dizziness and imbalance: The inner ear can be affected by pregnancy-induced hearing loss, or sometimes a pre-existing problem with the inner ear can be the source of that hearing loss. Your hearing loss may be accompanied by dizziness and balance problems if you have a problem with your inner ear. Pregnancy-related hearing loss isn’t an exception.
These aren’t universal symptoms. You will probably experience some symptoms and not others depending on the underlying cause of your pregnancy-related hearing loss. In any event, if you experience hearing loss or any of the associated symptoms while you are pregnant, it’s usually a good plan to talk to your doctor. Because these symptoms may be an indication of a more serious concern.
What causes pregnancy-related hearing loss?
Is hearing impacted by pregnancy? Sometimes, maybe. But being pregnant might also impact other parts of your body that will then go on to impact your hearing.
So, what are the potential causes of pregnancy-related hearing loss? Here are several of the most common causes:
- An iron deficiency: An iron deficiency while you’re pregnant can have a wide variety of repercussions for your health and your child’s health. Hearing loss can sometimes be one of those effects for the pregnant person.
- Some of the typical things: If you develop an ear infection, a sinus infection, or any type of blockage in your ear (like earwax), this can cause hearing loss whether you’re pregnant or not.
- High blood pressure: While you’re pregnant, high blood pressure can trigger tinnitus and hearing loss. So telling your physician about your hearing loss symptoms is really important. Serious conditions, including preeclampsia, can cause high blood pressure. Throughout pregnancy, these issues should be tracked.
- Hormone and circulatory changes: Your body is performing an extraordinary amount of work when you become pregnant. As a result, all sorts of changes are happening, both in terms of your hormones and your circulatory system.
- Bone growth: The ability for sound to pass through your ears can be obstructed by a disorder called otosclerosis which causes the tiny bones in your ear to grow too quickly. In pregnant women, this quicker bone growth might be caused by changes in your hormones or other changes in your body. Otoscerlosis research is still an ongoing process, and scientists are still figuring out just how much it affects hearing.
In some situations, the cause of your hearing loss simply won’t be all that well understood. The important thing will be to keep an eye on your symptoms and be in regular communication with your doctor.
How do you manage this form of hearing loss?
Treatment of this kind of hearing loss will usually depend on the underlying cause. The question that most individuals have is: will my hearing return to normal? Once your pregnancy has ended, your hearing should return to normal, or possibly even sooner.
But it’s also essential to get treatment for any symptoms you notice because getting your hearing back isn’t always a given. For instance, if bone growth is obstructing your ear canal, you might require additional treatment. Similarly, if you experience sudden sensorineural hearing loss, the results will depend on how rapidly you receive treatment.
For this reason, reporting any symptoms to your physician is so essential. You might then undergo a complete hearing screening or evaluation to help get to the bottom of your symptoms (or at least eliminate any of the more severe possible impacts).
Protect your hearing
Protecting your hearing is something you should pay attention to particularly when you’re pregnant. Getting regular evaluations with us is one of the best ways to do that. Give us a call today to set up a hearing assessment.