You may develop hearing loss as you get older, particularly if you frequently expose yourself to loud noise. Hearing loss might be in your future, for instance, if you work on a loud factory floor without hearing protection. These are pretty common and well recognized causes of hearing loss. But within the past few years, a new cause has entered the fray. Yup, you guessed it, Covid-19.
People all around the world have been ravaged by all of the numerous symptoms and side-effects of Covid-19, and that might include problems with hearing.
Maybe? Probably? Alright, we’re still in the early phases of completely understanding Covid-19. And something new about it is being uncovered all of the time by scientists. There is some research which indicates that hearing loss could 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 currently.
Does the Covid vaccine produce hearing loss?
So here’s the first thing to bear in mind: The Covid-19 vaccine has never been proven to cause hearing loss. That’s true for all of the presently approved and available vaccines, from Pfizer and Moderna to Novovax. That just isn’t how these vaccines work, they don’t impact your ears at all. It would be like consuming a nice healthy salad and then claiming that it was the cause of your diabetes.
This is true of both the conventional vaccines and the new mRNA vaccines. Which means that the benefits of these vaccines still greatly surpass the risks for the majority of people. Speak to your doctor and find reputable information if you have any questions about vaccines.
Let’s talk about hearing loss now that we’ve cleared that up.
So, how can Covid trigger hearing loss?
So how is hearing loss caused by this? Particularly, how does it trigger the kind of hearing loss that is the result of damage to the auditory system which is normally irreversible, known as sensorineural hearing loss?
Scientists have a couple of hypotheses. Either one of them could cause hearing loss or both together.
Theory #1: inflammation
Covid-19 creates inflammation in your upper respiratory tract, and the concept is that this inflammation ultimately affects your ears. Your ears, nose, and mouth are all interconnected, after all. There are a couple of ways this could trigger hearing loss:
- Fluid buildup: Fluid has a harder time draining because inflammation has made the drainage pathways more narrow. As this fluid accumulates, hearing becomes difficult. In these instances, your hearing will typically go back to normal once your symptoms clear up (this would not be an instance of sensorineural hearing loss).
- Cell damage: It’s important to keep in mind that viruses replicate by hijacking your body’s own cells. The consequence is damage. And because Covid affects your vascular system, this can sometimes cause damage to the vascular connections between your ears and your brain. This would be considered sensorineural hearing loss, and would likely be effectively permanent.
Steroids are sometimes prescribed when hearing loss is caused by inflammation. Scientists are still looking for a way to prevent sensorineural hearing loss caused by cell damage. It’s unknown, based on this research, just how much protection vaccines give you against this sort of damage, but it seems obvious that it’s better than no protection.
Theory #2: Long Covid
The next theory is more significant when it comes to patients’ experience, but a little less understood in terms of cause and effect. There’s something called Long Covid which you, by now, have most likely 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 question, Long Covid is real, but scientists are still unsure why.
Data about long-term hearing problems was systematically reviewed by researchers and a report was published in February 2021. Here’s what the review found:
- 7.2% of individuals reported vertigo
- Tinnitus was reported by 14.8%
- 7.6% of people reported hearing loss after getting Covid.
There’s certainly a connection between Long Covid and hearing problems, but it’s unknown if there’s a direct cause and effect relationship. Long covid seems to trigger a broad constellation of symptoms, including those that affect your hearing.
Evidence or anecdote?
It’s anecdotal when someone says that their hearing hasn’t been the same since they got Covid. It’s one individual story. When researchers are trying to develop a treatment plan, these personal stories, while they are part of everyday life for the individuals, aren’t enough for scientists to go on. So research is essential here.
Scientists will be able to get a better comprehension about the hazards of Covid as they collect more data about how widespread these difficulties are.
We certainly need to understand more. Research is ongoing, which means the connection between Covid-19 and hearing loss isn’t necessarily proven or unproven. It’s essential to get help as soon as possible 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 make 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&
