You may 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 wear ear protection, hearing loss may be in your future. These are pretty common and well known causes of hearing loss. But there’s a new kid on the block, and you can most likely guess who it is: Covid-19.
People across the world have been ravaged by all of the numerous symptoms and side-effects of Covid-19, and that might include issues with hearing.
Maybe? Probably? Alright, we’re still in the early stages of actually understanding Covid-19. And something new about it is being uncovered constantly by scientists. 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 take a look at where things stand right now.
So can hearing loss be triggered by Covid-19?
So here’s the first thing to bear in mind: There’s utterly no evidence that the Covid-19 vaccine triggers hearing loss. That’s true for all of the currently approved and obtainable vaccines, from Pfizer and Moderna to Novovax. That’s just not how these vaccines work, they don’t affect your ears at all. It would be like consuming a nice healthy salad and then declaring that it caused your diabetes.
This applies to the brand new mRNA vaccines and the more conventional ones. For most people, the risks are greatly outweighed by the advantages. If you have questions about vaccines, make sure to talk to your doctor, and get information from a reputable source.
Let’s talk about hearing loss now that we’ve gotten that out of the way.
So, how can Covid trigger hearing loss?
So how is hearing loss caused by this? Particularly, how does it trigger the type of hearing loss that is the result of damage to the auditory system which is usually irreversible, known as sensorineural hearing loss?
Scientists have a couple of hypotheses. These theories, we should point out, aren’t always mutually exclusive. They could both be true!
Theory #1: inflammation
The first substantial theory among scientists is that Covid-19 causes considerable inflammation in the upper respiratory tract, and that this inflammation can ultimately impact your ears. Your ears, nose, and mouth are all linked, 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 channels more narrow. As this fluid accumulates, hearing becomes difficult. In these instances, your hearing will typically go back to normal once your symptoms subside (this would not be an example of sensorineural hearing loss).
- Cell damage: Keep in mind that viruses use your body’s own cells to reproduce. The consequence is damage. In some cases, damage to the vascular connections between your ears and your brain takes place because of the way Covid impacts your vascular system. This situation is sensorineural hearing loss and will be generally irreversible.
When hearing loss is caused by a buildup due to inflammation, steroids can often help. There’s still a continuing effort by scientists to determine 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 second theory is a little murkier when it comes to the cause and effect, but more corroborated with regards to patients’ experience. At this point, you’ve most likely heard of something called Long Covid.
People 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 question, Long Covid is real, but scientists are still unsure why.
Data about long-term hearing difficulties was systematically reviewed by researchers and a report was published in February 2021. Here’s what the review found:
- 7.6% of individuals reported hearing loss after getting Covid.
- 14.8% reported developing tinnitus
- Vertigo was reported by7.2% of people
There’s certainly a link between Long Covid and hearing issues, but it’s unknown if there’s a direct cause and effect relationship. A host of symptoms, including hearing issues, come from Long Covid.
Evidence or Anecdote?
It’s anecdotal when somebody states that their hearing hasn’t been the same since they got Covid. It’s one single story. When researchers are trying to come up with a treatment plan, these individual stories, while they are part of everyday life for the individuals, aren’t enough for researchers to go on. So research is essential here.
Researchers will be able to get a better comprehension about the dangers of Covid as they collect more data about how extensive these complications are.
We certainly need to understand more. Research is ongoing, which means the link between Covid-19 and hearing loss isn’t actually proven or unproven. It’s essential to get help as soon as you can regardless of how your hearing loss developed. So if you think your hearing isn’t what it once was, 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&