You might develop hearing loss as you get older, especially if you regularly expose yourself to loud noise. Likewise, if you work on a noisy factory floor and don’t use ear protection, hearing loss may be in your future. These hearing loss causes are pretty common. But there’s a new fighter in the ring, and you can most likely guess who it is: Covid-19.
That’s correct, the same illness that’s been turning the world upside down for the past 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 scientists are learning something new about it all the time. There is some research which suggests that hearing loss may be a potential side effect of Covid-19, but more research still needs to be done to back this up. So let’s have a look at where things stand right now.
Does the Covid vaccine cause hearing loss?
So, let’s get this off the table right off the bat: There’s absolutely no proof that the Covid-19 vaccine triggers hearing loss. That’s true for all of the presently approved and obtainable vaccines, from Pfizer and Moderna to Novovax. That’s just not how these vaccines work, they don’t impact your ears at all. It would be like blaming your diabetes on the salad you had for dinner.
This is true of both the established vaccines and the new mRNA vaccines. For most individuals, the risks are vastly outweighed by the benefits. Talk to your doctor and seek reputable information if you have any questions about vaccines.
Okay… with that out of the way, let’s discuss hearing loss.
So, how can Covid cause hearing loss?
So how is hearing loss triggered by this? Particularly, how does this lead to sensorineural hearing loss, the type of hearing loss that is the result of damage to your auditory system and is usually irreversible?
Scientists have a couple of hypotheses. These theories, we should point out, aren’t always mutually exclusive. They could both be relevant!
Theory #1: inflammation
The first substantial theory among researchers is that Covid-19 causes significant inflammation in the upper respiratory tract, and that this inflammation can eventually affect your ears. After all, your nose, mouth, and ears are all linked. This may produce hearing loss in a couple of ways:
- Fluid buildup: Fluid has a harder time draining because inflammation has made the drainage pathways more narrow. As this fluid builds up, it becomes harder to hear. In these circumstances, your hearing will usually go back to normal once your symptoms clear up (if this takes place, you’re not experiencing sensorineural hearing loss).
- Damaged cells: Remember that viruses utilize your body’s own cells to reproduce. The outcome is damage. And because Covid impacts your vascular system, this can in some cases result in damage to the vascular links between your ears and your brain. This would be considered sensorineural hearing loss, and would most likely be essentially permanent.
Steroids are occasionally prescribed when hearing loss is related to inflammation. There’s still an ongoing effort by scientists to determine a way to prevent sensorineural hearing loss. How much protection from this type of hearing loss the vaccines will supply is not clear, but it’s better than no protection.
Theory #2: Long Covid
The next theory is more substantial when it comes to patients’ experience, but a little less comprehended with regards to cause and effect. By now, you’ve probably heard about something called Long Covid.
People will go through symptoms of Covid when they are experiencing 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 still aren’t sure why.
Data about long-term hearing complications was systematically reviewed by scientists and a report was published in February 2021. The review discovered that:
- Tinnitus was experienced by 14.8%
- 7.6% of individuals reported hearing loss after getting Covid.
- 7.2% of individuals reported vertigo
There’s certainly a connection between Long Covid and hearing problems, but it’s not known if there’s a direct cause and effect association. A variety of symptoms, including hearing issues, come from Long Covid.
Anecdote or evidence?
When someone talks about how they got Covid and had hearing issues ever since, that’s an anecdote. It’s only one person’s story. When scientists are attempting to devise a treatment strategy, these individual accounts, while they are part of everyday life for the individuals, aren’t enough for researchers to go on. So research is critical here.
As scientists uncover more evidence that these hearing complications are fairly widespread, they’re able to establish a clearer image of the risks related to Covid-19.
We undoubtedly have to learn more. Research is ongoing, which means the connection between Covid-19 and hearing loss isn’t necessarily proven or unproven. It’s crucial to seek help as soon as possible regardless of how your hearing loss developed. So if you think your hearing isn’t what it once was, contact us to make an appointment.
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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&