You might develop hearing loss as you get older, particularly if you regularly expose yourself to loud noise. Likewise, if you work on a noisy factory floor and don’t use hearing protection, hearing loss might be in your future. These are fairly common and well known causes of hearing loss. But within the past few years, a new cause has entered the fray. Yup, you guessed it, Covid-19.
People across the world have been ravaged by all of the many symptoms and side-effects of Covid-19, and that may include problems with hearing.
Maybe? Probably? Okay, Covid-19 is still a very new virus. And something new about it is being uncovered constantly by scientists. There is some research which indicates 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 at the moment.
Does the Covid vaccine produce hearing loss?
So, let’s get this out of the way right off the bat: There’s absolutely no proof that the Covid-19 vaccine triggers hearing loss. That’s true for all of the currently approved and available vaccines, from Pfizer and Moderna to Novovax. Vaccines don’t impact your ears, they just don’t work like that. It would be like consuming a nice healthy salad and then declaring that it was the cause of your diabetes.
This applies to the brand new mRNA vaccines and the more established ones. Which means that the advantages of these vaccines still greatly exceed the risks for the majority of people. If you have questions about vaccines, be certain to talk to your doctor, and get answers from a reputable source.
Okay… with that out of the way, let’s discuss hearing loss.
So, how does Covid cause hearing loss?
So how is hearing loss triggered by this? Particularly, how does this cause sensorineural hearing loss, the kind of hearing loss that is the result of damage to your auditory system and is usually irreversible?
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 idea is that this inflammation eventually affects your ears. After all, your nose, mouth, and ears are all interconnected. There are a couple of ways this might cause hearing loss:
- Fluid buildup: Fluid has a harder time draining because inflammation has made the drainage channels more narrow. It becomes harder and harder to hear as this fluid continues to build up. After the symptoms clear up, your hearing will normally return to normal (this would not be an example of sensorineural hearing loss).
- Damaged cells: It’s important to remember that viruses replicate by hijacking your body’s own cells. This can cause damage. And because Covid affects your vascular system, this can sometimes result in damage to the vascular connections between your ears and your brain. This would be considered sensorineural hearing loss, and would probably be essentially permanent.
When hearing loss is caused by a buildup due to inflammation, steroids can often be helpful. Scientists are still searching for a way to prevent sensorineural hearing loss caused by cell damage. How much protection from this kind of hearing loss the vaccines will provide is unknown, but it’s better than no protection.
Theory #2: Long Covid
The next theory is more significant when it comes to patients’ experience, but a bit less understood with regards to cause and effect. At this point, you’ve probably heard about something called Long Covid.
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 drags out for months, or longer, after having Covid itself, is experienced. Scientists still aren’t sure exactly what causes Long Covid, but there’s no doubt it’s a real thing.
In February of 2021, researchers published a systematic review that evaluated data about long-term auditory complications caused by Covid-19. Here’s what the review found:
- 7.6% of people reported hearing impairment after getting Covid.
- Tinnitus was reported by 14.8%
- 7.2% of people reported vertigo
There’s certainly a link between Long Covid and hearing problems, but it’s not known if there’s a direct cause and effect association. Long covid seems to trigger a broad constellation of symptoms, including those that affect your hearing.
Anecdote or evidence?
It’s anecdotal when someone states that their hearing hasn’t been the same 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 researchers to go on when formulating treatment guidance. That’s why research is so crucial.
Researchers will be able to get a clearer understanding about the hazards of Covid as they gather more information about how extensive these difficulties are.
We undoubtedly have to understand more. The link between Covid and hearing loss isn’t either proven or unproven at this point and research is ongoing. It’s essential 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.
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&
