Does Coronavirus cause hearing loss?
Since early 2020, our world has been doing its best to navigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It seems that with each new day, more information becomes available, which is good for our long-term understanding of the virus, but can often be confusing for those of us who are trying to live our lives as safely, comfortably, and productively as possible.
In early spring of the first year of the pandemic, experts began to release information related to the many symptoms believed to be associated with those who had been infected with the virus, including a loss of taste and a loss of smell, and even an altered sense of taste and smell in some cases, causing those affected difficulty in eating foods or smelling aromas that were a normal and enjoyable part of life before the pandemic.
With such unusual sensorial symptoms becoming increasingly associated with COVID-19, researchers began to wonder, “Does COVID-19 cause hearing loss?”
It’s a sensible question. Infected parties were experiencing a people’s sensory experience, including their perception of common tastes and smells. Why wouldn’t your hearing also be affected?
Researchers are exploring a link between COVID-19 and hearing loss
At the time of this writing, researchers don’t believe that hearing loss is an initial symptom of COVID-19, and has been found to be rarely associated with those who have just gotten the virus.
Unfortunately, we’re experiencing all of this — the pandemic, the research, and the reporting — in real time. As studies are published, they might contradict a previous study, and only in time will we be able to have a broader understanding of this experience and how it affects different aspects of people’s health.
What is, however, giving researchers more to explore is the question of whether or not hearing loss is a long term effect of having COVID-19.
Is hearing loss a long term effect of COVID-19?
Again, there simply hasn’t been enough time, research, or thoroughly assessed data to say for certain.
There are studies that have been conducted that are encouraging greater research into potential links between coronavirus and hearing loss, dizziness, and tinnitus, the latter of which seems to show the greatest possible link at this time.
The best advice we can give on this topic is to urge anyone, regardless of whether or not they have had COVID-19, to seek out professional assistance the moment that they feel a potential hearing loss, loss of balance, or symptoms of tinnitus.
Just because you’re experiencing these symptoms, it does not necessarily mean you have hearing loss. You could, for instance, have an ear infection, blockage caused by a buildup of cerumen (earwax) or another obstruction, or you could be experiencing the effects of certain medications that might be associated with these feelings. This is why seeing a hearing care professional is so important.
Hearing care professionals are here to help you
At Beltone Tristate, we’ve devoted our careers to helping thousands of people in our community better understand their hearing health, all while providing them tailored treatment recommendations designed to help them feel and hear their very best.
A life with hearing difficulty can truly hold you back from experiencing life to the fullest. Many of our patients report that, prior to seeking our care, they were limiting their social interactions due to embarrassment, the exhaustion of straining to hear, and simply feeling overwhelmed by noisy environments.
You don’t have to live this way.
We encourage you to schedule a free hearing exam with Beltone Tristate. We’ll thoroughly assess the state of your hearing, help you clearly understand the results of your test, and, if you’re a candidate for treatment, provide you with a series of recommendations that will suit your goals, your lifestyle, and your budget.
You deserve to hear and feel your best. Don’t delay. Contact Beltone Tristate today to experience all that life — and hearing! — has to offer. Contact us now!