Mild Covid-19 infection too can cause sudden hearing loss: Study

According to a new study people who suffer from mild Covid19 infection could be at risk of sudden deafness and hearing lossSudden sensorineural hearing loss SSNHL also known as sudden deafness is a littleknown and poorly understood side effect of Covid19 that is not even listed as a common symptom by doctors said Kim Gibson a fully vaccinated nursing lecturer at the University of South AustraliaGibson a registered nurse with a clinical background in neonatal intensive care developed acute hearing loss in one ear along with vertigo and tinnitus five weeks after experiencing a mild Covid infection in 2022Her experience is published in the British Medical Journal Case ReportsMy experience shows that even people who have a minor Covid19 infection could be at risk of potentially permanent and debilitating longterm effects High quality personcentred care is so criticalPrevious studies have linked SSNHL with Covid19 as well as a potential side effect of Covid vaccination but the evidence is still limited Gibson saidGibson said that despite working in health education she was not aware of Covid19 causing hearing lossThis was a shocking experience for me that had a significant impact on my quality of life for several months as I had never had any problems with hearing before not even an ear infectionI was unable to drive a car while experiencing severe vertigo I needed to reduce my workload negotiate flexible working hours with my employers and take a leave of absence from study This was all due to a mild Covid19 infectionI was worried that the hearing loss would be permanent and that I would need a hearing aid I now feel very nervous about a second Covid19 infection What if I experience this again or even worseAccording to the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners sudden sensorineural hearing loss also known as sudden deafness occurs when you lose your hearing very quickly typically only in one earIt can happen instantly or over a span of several days People can experience mild hearing impairment or total loss of hearing and it may be temporary or permanentAfter experiencing the sudden hearing loss Gibson was referred to an otolaryngologist an ear nose and throat doctor or an ENT who confirmed SSNHLA course of oral prednisolone and betahistine was prescribed and Gibsons hearing slowly improved over subsequent months although she continues to experience intermittent tinnitusThe evidence around the short and longterm impacts of Covid19 and vaccines is still emerging and the aim of this paper is to highlight the lesserknown side effects of the virus Gibson saidWe believe that clinicians should include sudden hearing loss as a potential side effect of Covid19 when talking to patients Highdose corticosteroids are a recommended first line of treatment for SSNHL and it is important that GPs promptly refer patients to specialists as soon as symptoms developHearing loss and associated symptoms can have a significant impact on a persons quality of life they did in my case and are closely related with anxiety and depression she notedA study of hearing loss during the pandemic showed that approximately one third of patients with SSNHL were positive with Covid19 when they were referred to an audiologist Other studies reported an increase of SSNHL in 2020 and 2021 including among asymptomatic peopleAlso Read Baisakhi 2023 Date time significance and all you need to knowThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever