It’s an awesome and wonderful experience, having a baby. But in terms of how it can make you feel, it can be fairly uncomfortable, at least in some cases. There are all kinds of peculiar side effects, like morning sickness, health challenges, and changes to your body. None of this takes away from the delight of being a parent… but it’s a whole process to get there.
And now we can add hearing loss to that list of disadvantages.
Pregnancy isn’t normally the first thing you think of when someone is talking about hearing loss. But pregnancy-induced hearing loss is actually more prevalent than most individuals may think. It’s not a bad plan to keep an eye out for these symptoms. In some cases, the source of pregnancy-related hearing loss is harmless and insignificant. In other cases, the cause is a serious concern and could require immediate medical treatment. Is hearing loss during pregnancy irreversible? Well, the answer sort of depends on the root cause, and how fast you address it.
What are the symptoms of pregnancy-related hearing loss?
You generally won’t hear about pregnancy-induced hearing loss in pop-culture. It isn’t nearly as cinematic as something like morning sickness. People usually don’t expect pregnancy-related hearing loss, because of this. So, it might be useful to know what to look out for.
Pregnancy-related hearing loss is about more than just turning up the volume on your devices, after all. The most prevalent symptoms include the following:
- Headaches and migraines: You might also experience an increase in the number of headaches or migraines you have on a regular basis.
- Dizziness and imbalance: In many cases, pregnancy-related hearing loss can impact the inner ear (or, in some cases, whatever is affecting the inner ear is also causing hearing loss). Whenever your inner ear isn’t working properly, you may have problems with balance and dizziness accompanying your hearing loss. Pregnancy-related hearing loss is no exception.
- Everything seems quieter: Of course, this symptom of hearing loss is the most evident. But a condition known as “sudden sensorineural hearing loss” occurs all of a sudden and can be more apparent. You need to convey any sudden hearing loss during pregnancy to your doctor as soon as possible. You may require emergency treatment to prevent the sudden hearing loss from becoming irreversible.
- Tinnitus: A ringing in your ears, called tinnitus, is often associated with pregnancy-induced hearing loss. In some situations, this tinnitus might even sound like or take on the rhythm of your own heartbeat (this is known as pulsatile tinnitus). You should consult your physician about your tinnitus, whether hearing loss is also present or not.
- You feel a fullness in your ears: Pregnancy-related hearing loss might in some cases be accompanied by a feeling of stuffiness or fullness in your ears.
These aren’t universal symptoms. You will most likely experience some symptoms and not others depending on the root cause of your pregnancy-induced hearing loss. Either way, it’s a good plan to consult your doctor if experience any of these hearing loss symptoms. Because these symptoms might be an indication of a more serious problem.
The causes of pregnancy-related hearing loss
Is hearing impacted by pregnancy? In some cases, maybe. But being pregnant may also impact other parts of your body that will then go on to impact your hearing.
So, what are the likely causes of pregnancy-induced hearing loss? Here are several of the most common causes:
- Some of the typical things: If you develop an ear infection, a sinus infection, or any kind of obstruction in your ear (such as earwax), this can cause hearing loss whether you’re pregnant or not.
- An iron deficiency: Your health, and the health of your child, can both be affected in lots of ways by an iron deficiency. One of those impacts can sometimes be hearing loss in the woman who is pregnant.
- Changes in your circulatory system (and hormones): Your body is performing an extraordinary amount of work when you get pregnant. As a consequence, all sorts of changes are afoot, both in terms of your hormones and your circulatory system.
- Bone growth: There’s a rare affliction known as otosclerosis in which the tiny bones in your ear start growing more rapidly, and this accelerated growth prevents sound from passing through your ears. In pregnant women, this quicker bone growth might be caused by alterations in your hormones or other changes in your body. Otoscerlosis research is still a continuing process, and scientists are still figuring out exactly how much it impacts hearing.
- High blood pressure: Hearing loss and tinnitus can be the outcome of high blood pressure which can be caused by pregnancy. So telling your physician about your hearing loss symptoms is very important. High blood pressure can be a symptom of preeclampsia and other serious conditions. These are problems that need to be watched carefully throughout your pregnancy.
In some situations, the cause of your hearing loss just won’t be all that well comprehended. Routinely talking to your physician and keeping track of your symptoms is the key here.
How is this kind of hearing loss treated?
The root cause of this type of hearing loss will largely dictate the course of treatment. Will my hearing go back to normal? This is the most common question people will have. Once your pregnancy has ended, your hearing should return to normal, or possibly even sooner.
However, this isn’t always the default, so it’s important to be aggressive when you notice symptoms. You may require extra treatment if bone growth is blocking your ear canal, for example. Similarly, if you experience abrupt sensorineural hearing loss, the outcome will depend on how quickly you receive treatment.
For this reason, reporting any symptoms to your physician is so essential. The next step will most likely be a complete hearing assessment to eliminate any more serious conditions and try to diagnose the inherent cause.
Protect your hearing
Safeguarding your hearing is something you need to pay attention to especially when you’re pregnant. Getting regular evaluations with us is one of the best ways to do that. Schedule a hearing assessment with us as soon as possible.
