Hearing Loss after Covid

[harllee]

DH and I got Covid about a month ago, we were fully vaccinated and took Paxlovid. I am completely recovered. DH is still struggling--still has fatigue and some hearing loss in one ear (did not have any hearing loss before Covid). Doctor thinks DH has an ear infection from Covid in that ear and put him on antibiotics but that has not helped his hearing. He has an appointment with ENT doctor in a few weeks (first one he could get). One unusual thing if he tilts his head toward the ear with the hearing loss this improves his hearing. Would this mean he has fluid in the ear? Any advice?

 

[jim584672]

I had fluid in the middle ear after COVID, it lasted around 6 months. I was 3x vaccinated.

 

[audreyh1]

Oh no! Although I have heard of lingering tinnitus.

 

[GenXguy]

Yes, permanent tinnitus, even.

 

[aja8888]

Yes, permanent tinnitus, even.

Yes, that's me!

 

[tutan]

DH and I got Covid about a month ago, we were fully vaccinated and took Paxlovid. I am completely recovered. DH is still struggling--still has fatigue and some hearing loss in one ear (did not have any hearing loss before Covid). Doctor thinks DH has an ear infection from Covid in that ear and put him on antibiotics but that has not helped his hearing. He has an appointment with ENT doctor in a few weeks (first one he could get). One unusual thing if he tilts his head toward the ear with the hearing loss this improves his hearing. Would this mean he has fluid in the ear? Any advice?

Good luck to your husband!
I contracted Covid in May of 2023 and a few weeks later began experiencing some hearing loss and tinnitus in my right ear. I am not sure if they were linked however. Anyway, after seeing an audiologist to confirm the hearing loss several months later, she told me had I come to them within a month, they could have given me steroid injection which might have helped. No guarantees of course.

 

[Telly]

...One unusual thing if he tilts his head toward the ear with the hearing loss this improves his hearing. Would this mean he has fluid in the ear? Any advice?

A high possibility of a partially-filled middle ear. Fluid in the middle ear dulls sound from outside, and increases sound pickup via bone conduction into the middle ear. It can make chewing noticeably louder, and tooth brushing on that side should sound louder too. Does he ever hear any glugging sounds or maybe an occasional high-pitched short squeal from that ear?
These can be from some air momentarily making it through a eustachian tube that has closed up, and opens a little bit for just a moment.
Fluid in the middle ear can take a long time to be absorbed. In some cases, if the fluid is thick, it's possible to have an infection in the fluid (the true "glue ear"), which is not reachable by antibiotics, as the infection does not have a connection to the blood stream. In some cases, a small grommet is inserted into the eardrum, and an antibiotic can be injected into the middle ear via the grommeted hole.

An ENT will look into the ear with a light and magnifier to look at the eardrum, fluid changes it's transparency. Earwax is commonly an impediment to viewing.
Also, a tuning fork can be struck on a desk, and then the patient is asked which is louder... hearing the sound through the air via the resonating fork held next to the ear (using the outer ear and eardrum),
or,
with the base of the fork pressed against the side of the jaw bone or side of head (bone conduction).

 

[Sunset]

DH and I got Covid about a month ago, we were fully vaccinated and took Paxlovid. I am completely recovered. DH is still struggling--still has fatigue and some hearing loss in one ear (did not have any hearing loss before Covid). Doctor thinks DH has an ear infection from Covid in that ear and put him on antibiotics but that has not helped his hearing. He has an appointment with ENT doctor in a few weeks (first one he could get). One unusual thing if he tilts his head toward the ear with the hearing loss this improves his hearing. Would this mean he has fluid in the ear? Any advice?

There is a thing called Sudden Hearing Loss, if not seen by a specialist within a very short period of time, it's too late.
Weeks for an appt is too long for SHL.

 

[harllee]

DH is off to urgent care this morning to try to get some prednisone which seems to be the recommended treatment for this issue. DH has done some self hearing tests and he says he really does not really have hearing loss just a muffled sound in one ear which goes away when he tilts his head to the other side. He has also called the ENT doctor and explained situation and is put on the list if there are any cancellations.

 

[wrigley]

My brother contracted COVID in mid 2020. His hearing is still giving him problems.

 

[pacergal]

I hope Urgent care is able to help in the meantime, while waiting for ENT.
If he does have fluid in the middle ear, he may be given decongestants to take for several days/weeks, sometimes a nasal inhaler also.

 

[neihn]

Yes, that's me!

+1 me too.

 

[John Galt III]

Not covid, but I had a severe head cold years ago, and lost hearing during the cold, which I didn't worry about, since my ears were stuffed up, but the hearing loss continued after the cold went away. I told my doctor about it and he said 'that does not happen' and that I must be imagining it, lol.

Another thing to think about is that certain meds, in large doses, can be ototoxic (can damage hearing). One of the ototoxic meds is ibuprofin. ( I did not take any during my cold though)

 

[Pluperfect]

There is a thing called Sudden Hearing Loss, if not seen by a specialist within a very short period of time, it's too late.

I want to reiterate this.

It happened to my boyfriend and we figured it was probably wax. (He has excellent hearing, and once complained about being kept awake by some racket, and it turned out to be an ant crawling on one of those magazine subscription cards in the trash can.) We were going to continue with the wax treatment through the weekend, but I called a random ENT to get an appointment for Monday and he had an opening on Friday, so we took it.

They did a hearing test and he was deaf in one ear. (I'm also deaf in one ear, and FINALLY he understood what it's like to live without able to tell where sound is coming from. He agreed that it was awful.)

The ENT said the sudden hearing loss was probably due to an infection that caused the hearing nerve to get squished, or something like that, and put him on a cheap steroid for a week, and it worked perfectly. He also said the sooner the steroids are started, the better the odds of success, so coming in on Friday instead of Monday was a good thing.

We later remembered that he'd had Covid at some point before that, and maybe that had something to do with it. Or maybe not.

But I tell everyone I know that if they suddenly go deaf, get your ass to an ENT immediately. And this is coming from someone who has to be on her deathbed to go to a doctor, but who also knows what being deaf is like.

 

[tfudtuckerpucker]

This happened to me a couple of years ago- I lost hearing in my left ear. I thought it was a cold or something. My family doctor said it's probably just a cold. A week later I went to an ENT, who diagnosed it as SSHL (single sided hearing loss) and put me on prednisone. I now have about 20% hearing in my left ear. If you begin prednisone within days to maybe a week from onset, there's a 50% chance of total hearing recovery. But my family doctor did not know this. From my checking, many/most family doctors are unaware of this. FWIW I found Paul Simon has the same issue. Paul Simon Talks About Hearing Loss in His Left Ear: 'I Can't Hear My Voice' If Instruments Are Too Loud

 

[harllee]

Update--DH's family doctor has put him on prednisone at our insistence, after one day he says the muffled sound is lessening. His ENT appointment has been moved to next Tuesday but he has to drive to an office about 25 miles away (could not get into office about 5 miles away) but he will go.

 

[audreyh1]

Wow, good for you!

 

[Pluperfect]

If you begin prednisone within days to maybe a week from onset, there's a 50% chance of total hearing recovery. But my family doctor did not know this.

Neither of us has a family doctor, so going to an ENT was the only thing we even considered. That turned out to be a pretty lucky turn.

Of course it's possible a general practitioner would know to start prednisone immediately, but I think it's more likely that an ENT would, and as you note, time is of the essence when this happens. And an ENT can do a hearing test to accurately measure the severity of the hearing loss.

I think we really dodged a bullet, and I've become an evangelist about it.

 

[harllee]

Neither of us has a family doctor, so going to an ENT was the only thing we even considered. That turned out to be a pretty lucky turn.

Of course it's possible a general practitioner would know to start prednisone immediately, but I think it's more likely that an ENT would, and as you note, time is of the essence when this happens. And an ENT can do a hearing test to accurately measure the severity of the hearing loss.

I think we really dodged a bullet, and I've become an evangelist about it.

The problem with going to an ENT in our area is that all appointments are weeks out, cannot get in to see an ENT in a timely basis.

 

[Pluperfect]

The problem with going to an ENT in our area is that all appointments are weeks out, cannot get in to see an ENT in a timely basis.

Bummer. I guess we were luckier than I thought, because we got a next-day appointment. It was on a Friday, so maybe we happened to hit a cancellation? But he also scheduled a follow-up about a week later with no problem.

And we're extra lucky because we had no idea whatsoever what it was, and relied entirely on Dr. ENT with no help from Dr. Internet. I'd say that insisting on prednisone in the face of resistance is the way to go, but I don't like being that guy.

 

[harllee]

Bummer. I guess we were luckier than I thought, because we got a next-day appointment. It was on a Friday, so maybe we happened to hit a cancellation? But he also scheduled a follow-up about a week later with no problem.

And we're extra lucky because we had no idea whatsoever what it was, and relied entirely on Dr. ENT with no help from Dr. Internet. I'd say that insisting on prednisone in the face of resistance is the way to go, but I don't like being that guy.

My husband is the same, he would not have pushed to get his GP to prescribe prednisone but I was VERY insistent that the doctor prescribe him prednisone and it is already helping

 

[Healthy Lifestyle]

Is prednisone as safe as taking an aspirin? I would hesitate to take anything that maybe toxic based on Covid symptoms.

 

[harllee]

Is prednisone as safe as taking an aspirin? I would hesitate to take anything that maybe toxic based on Covid symptoms.

I am sure Prednisone has many side effects. But it is either take a 7 day course of Prednisone or lose your hearing permanently.

 

[Rianne]

Oh no! Although I have heard of lingering tinnitus

Yes, I had tinnitus before but after Covid vaccinations it got worse. Then got Covid in Sept. 2024 - tinnitus got worse and heightened inflammation in feet. I can no longer go to movies, even ear plugs don't help. We tried to see Dune at iMax and I had to leave after 10 minutes. Tinnitus screeched for a couple of days after then settled down. No more concerts either. Bummer.

 

[aja8888]

Is prednisone as safe as taking an aspirin? I would hesitate to take anything that maybe toxic based on Covid symptoms.

Extended use of Prednisone ruined my deceased DW's bone density. Her COPD was so bad, she took lots of it and over time, her bones were so bad, she split 4 vertebrae just from bending over her dressing table in the bathroom. This vertebrae had to be glued back together (horizontal breaks). Medicare would not approve any further use of Prednisone for her.