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 are fairly common and well recognized causes of hearing loss. But within the last few years, a new cause has surfaced. Yup, you guessed it, Covid-19.

People all around the world have been ravaged by all of the many symptoms and side-effects of Covid-19, and that might include issues with hearing.

Maybe? Probably? Okay, Covid-19 is still an extremely new virus. And scientists are learning something new about it every day. There is some research which suggests 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 have a look at where things stand right now.

Does the Covid vaccine produce hearing loss?

So here’s the first thing to remember: The Covid-19 vaccine has never been proven to cause hearing loss. All of the presently approved vaccines have this in common. 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 caused your diabetes.

This is true of both the conventional vaccines and the new mRNA vaccines. For most people, the risks are vastly exceeded by the benefits. Talk to your doctor and find reputable information if you have any questions about vaccines.

Let’s discuss hearing loss now that we’ve cleared that up.

So how is hearing loss caused by Covid?

But, how does this cause hearing loss? Specifically, 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 permanent?

Scientists have a couple of hypotheses. These theories, we should point out, aren’t always mutually exclusive. They can both be relevant!

Theory #1: inflammation

Covid-19 produces inflammation in your upper respiratory tract, and the concept is that this inflammation eventually affects your ears. After all, your nose, mouth, and ears are all connected. There are a couple of ways this might trigger hearing loss:

• Fluid buildup: Inflammation can make drainage channels narrower, making it harder for fluid to get out or drain efficiently. As this fluid builds up, hearing becomes difficult. In these situations, your hearing will typically go back to normal once your symptoms subside (this wouldn’t be an instance of sensorineural hearing loss).
• Damaged cells: It’s essential to remember that viruses reproduce by hijacking your body’s own cells. The outcome is damage. Sometimes, 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 basically permanent.

When hearing loss is a result of a buildup due to inflammation, steroids can often be helpful. There’s still an ongoing effort by scientists to determine a way to prevent sensorineural hearing loss. How much protection from this sort of hearing loss the vaccines will supply is not clear, but it’s better than no protection.

Theory #2: Long Covid

The second hypothesis 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 probably heard of 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. Sometimes, patients will experience a mild bout of Covid followed by a debilitating Long Covid experience that drags on for months (or longer). Scientists are still unsure exactly what causes Long Covid, but there’s no denying it’s a real thing.

In February of 2021, scientists published a systematic review that examined data about long-term auditory complications due to Covid-19. Here’s what the review found:

• 7.6% of people reported hearing impairment after getting Covid.
• 14.8% reported experiencing tinnitus
• Vertigo was reported by7.2% of people

Whether these auditory complications are caused by Long Covid or just associated with it isn’t really clear, but it’s safe to say there’s a relationship of some kind. A host of symptoms, including hearing problems, come from Long Covid.

Evidence or anecdote?

When somebody talks about how they got Covid and haven’t been able to hear the same since, that’s an anecdote. It’s only one person’s narrative. And while it’s a fact of life for them, it isn’t really enough for researchers to go on when formulating treatment plans. So research is essential here.

Scientists will be able to get a clearer comprehension about the hazards of Covid as they gather more information about how extensive these complications are.

We definitely need to learn more. Research is continuing, which means the connection between Covid-19 and hearing loss isn’t actually proven or unproven. Regardless of how you developed hearing loss, however, it’s still essential that you seek out treatment as soon as you can. So if you suspect your hearing isn’t what it used to be, call us to make an appointment.

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References

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2022.883749/full