It’s an amazing and incredible experience, having a child. But when it comes to how it can make you feel, it can be rather unpleasant, at least sometimes. There are all sorts of peculiar side effects, like morning sickness, health hazards, and changes to your body. None of this takes away from the joy of being a parent… but it’s a whole undertaking to get there.
And now we can add hearing loss to that list of disadvantages.
Most people don’t immediately associate hearing loss with pregnancy. So it might be surprising to learn that pregnancy-related hearing loss is rather common. This means that these symptoms are worth watching out for. Pregnancy-related hearing loss isn’t something you should be worried about in most cases. In other cases, the cause is a serious concern and may call for immediate medical treatment. Will pregnancy-related hearing loss go away? Well, the answer sort of depends on the underlying cause, and how quickly you treat it.
Pregnancy-induced hearing loss symptoms
Hearing loss during pregnancy doesn’t appear on many sitcoms or in very many romantic comedies. Things like morning sickness are much more cinematic. This means that, generally speaking, individuals may be less likely to expect pregnancy-related hearing loss. So, it might be useful to know what to watch out for.
Pregnancy-related hearing loss is about more than simply cranking the volume up on your devices, after all. The most common symptoms include the following:
- Everything seems quieter: Of course, this indication of hearing loss is the most evident. But a condition called “sudden sensorineural hearing loss” happens all of a sudden and can be more apparent. Any type of sudden hearing loss during pregnancy should be reported to your healthcare team as soon as you can. In order to prevent sudden hearing loss from becoming irreversible, you might need emergency treatment.
- Tinnitus: A ringing in your ears, known as tinnitus, is often associated with pregnancy-induced hearing loss. The rhythm and sound of your tinnitus symptoms can, in some cases, sound like your own heartbeat which is known as “pulsatile tinnitus”. Whether this tinnitus exists by itself or with hearing loss, it’s worth talking to your doctor about what you’re feeling.
- Headaches and migraines: You may also have an increase in the number of headaches or migraines you have on a regular basis.
- Dizziness and imbalance: The inner ear can be affected by pregnancy-induced hearing loss, or in some cases a pre-existing problem with the inner ear can be the cause of that hearing loss. Your hearing loss might be accompanied by dizziness and balance problems if you have a problem with your inner ear. Pregnancy-related hearing loss isn’t an exception.
- A plugged feeling in your ears: Pregnancy-related hearing loss could in some cases be accompanied by a feeling of stuffiness or fullness in your ears.
None of these symptoms are fundamentally universal. Depending on the underlying cause of your pregnancy-induced hearing loss, you may experience some symptoms but not others. Either way, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor if experience any of these hearing loss symptoms. Because these symptoms may be an indication of a more serious concern.
The causes of pregnancy-induced hearing loss
Does being pregnant impact hearing? Well, perhaps, in some cases. But other parts of your body are affected by pregnancy and those parts of your body can then affect your hearing.
So how can pregnancy-related hearing loss possibly be caused? Well, the causes vary… but some of the most common include:
- An iron deficiency: Your health, and the health of your baby, can both be impacted in lots of ways by an iron deficiency. Hearing loss can sometimes be one of those impacts for the pregnant person.
- Some of the typical things: Whether you’re pregnant or not, common things like blockages, sinus infections, and ear infections can cause hearing loss.
- Hormone and circulatory changes: Your body is doing an exceptional amount of work when you get pregnant. Your hormones and circulatory system are experiencing lots of changes, as an outcome.
- Bone growth: There’s a rare condition known as otosclerosis in which the tiny bones in your ear begin growing more quickly, and this accelerated growth blocks the ability of sound to pass through your ears. In pregnant women, this faster bone growth may 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 just how much it impacts hearing.
- High blood pressure: Hearing loss and tinnitus can be the outcome of high blood pressure which can be brought about by pregnancy. And this is, in part, why it’s very important to tell your doctor about your hearing loss. High blood pressure can be a symptom of preeclampsia and other serious ailments. These are problems that should be monitored carefully throughout your pregnancy.
In some cases, the cause of your hearing loss just won’t be all that well comprehended. Routinely talking to your doctor and keeping an eye on your symptoms is the key here.
How do you manage this form of hearing loss?
Treatment of this kind of hearing loss will likely depend on the root cause. Will my hearing return to normal? This is the most prevalent question people will have. Once your pregnancy has ended, your hearing should return to normal, or possibly even sooner.
However, this is not always the default, so it’s essential to be proactive when you detect symptoms. You might need additional treatment if bone growth is blocking your ear canal, for example. The results will also depend on how fast you get treatment when it comes to sudden sensorineural hearing loss.
That’s why it’s so important to be sure you report these symptoms to your doctor. You may then go through a comprehensive hearing screening or evaluation to help get to the bottom of your symptoms (or at least rule out any of the more dangerous possible impacts).
Protect your hearing
Safeguarding your hearing is something you should pay attention to especially when you’re pregnant. One of the best ways to do that is to stay in touch with us and with your care team. Give us a call today to set up a hearing assessment.
