Of course, pregnancy is awesome and incredible. But when it comes to how it can make you feel, it can be pretty unpleasant, at least in some cases. There are all sorts of strange side effects, like morning sickness, health hazards, and changes to your body. None of this detracts from the delight of being a parent… but it’s a whole undertaking to get there.
And now we can add hearing loss to that list of drawbacks.
Pregnancy isn’t typically the first thing you think of when someone is talking about hearing loss. So it may be a surprise to learn that pregnancy-related hearing loss is fairly common. It’s not a bad plan to keep an eye out for these symptoms. In some cases, the cause of pregnancy-induced hearing loss is innocuous and insignificant. Sadly, sometimes the cause is a more serious problem that could call for swift medical treatment. Will pregnancy-related hearing loss subside? Well, the answer sort of depends on the root cause, and how quickly you address it.
What are the symptoms of pregnancy-induced hearing loss?
You typically won’t hear about pregnancy-induced hearing loss in pop-culture. It’s not nearly as cinematic as something like morning sickness. This means that, generally, people might be less likely to expect pregnancy-related hearing loss. So knowing what to watch out for can be helpful.
After all, the symptoms of pregnancy-related hearing loss are about more than turning up the volume on your television. The most common symptoms include the following:
- Dizziness and imbalance: In many instances, 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 correctly, you might have problems with balance and dizziness with your hearing loss. Pregnancy-related hearing loss is no exception.
- Everything seems quieter: Of course, this indication of hearing loss is the most apparent. But if it comes on all of a sudden, it’s something known as “sudden sensorineural hearing loss”. Any type of abrupt hearing loss during pregnancy should be reported to your healthcare team as soon as you can. In order to stop sudden hearing loss from becoming irreversible, you might need emergency treatment.
- You feel plugged in your ears: Pregnancy-related hearing loss may sometimes be accompanied by a feeling of being plugged or fullness in your ears.
- Tinnitus: A ringing in your ears, called tinnitus, is often linked to pregnancy-related hearing loss. In some situations, this tinnitus may even sound like or take on the rhythm of your own heartbeat (this is called pulsatile tinnitus). You should consult your doctor about your tinnitus, whether hearing loss is also present or not.
- Headaches and migraines: Regular headaches and migraines can also be more frequent.
None of these symptoms are fundamentally universal. You will probably experience some symptoms and not others depending on the underlying cause of your pregnancy-induced hearing loss. In any case, if you experience hearing loss or any of the associated symptoms while you are pregnant, it’s typically a good plan to talk to your provider. That’s because these symptoms can in some cases be an indication of some rare but larger issues.
The causes of pregnancy-induced hearing loss
Is hearing affected by pregnancy? Well, maybe, sometimes. But other parts of your body are impacted by pregnancy and those parts of your body can then affect your hearing.
So, what are the possible causes of pregnancy-related hearing loss? Well, the causes vary… but some of the most prevalent include:
- 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, to some extent, why it’s very important to tell your provider about your hearing loss. High blood pressure can be a symptom of preeclampsia and other severe conditions. Throughout pregnancy, these problems should be tracked.
- Changes in your circulatory system (and hormones): When you get pregnant, your body is doing an exceptional amount of work. Your hormones and circulatory system are going through lots of changes, as a result.
- Bone growth: There’s a rare affliction known as otosclerosis in which the tiny bones in your ear start growing more quickly, and this accelerated growth prevents sound from passing through your ears. In pregnant women, this quicker 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 exactly how much it impacts hearing.
- An iron deficiency: An iron deficiency while you’re pregnant can have a wide variety of consequences for your health and your baby’s health. Hearing loss can sometimes be one of those effects for the pregnant person.
- Some of the typical things: If you get an ear infection, a sinus infection, or any type of blockage in your ear (such as earwax), this can cause hearing loss whether you’re pregnant or not.
In some cases, the cause of your hearing loss simply won’t be all that well comprehended. The essential thing will be to keep an eye on your symptoms and be in frequent communication with your doctor.
How do you manage this type of hearing loss?
The root cause of this kind of hearing loss will largely determine the course of treatment. The question that many individuals have is: will my hearing loss clear up? In most situations, yes, your hearing will return to normal once you’re no longer pregnant, or possibly even before.
However, this is not always the situation, so it’s important to be proactive when you notice symptoms. You might need additional treatment if bone growth is blocking your ear canal, for example. Likewise, if you experience abrupt sensorineural hearing loss, the results will depend on how quickly you receive treatment.
For this reason, reporting any symptoms to your doctor is so essential. The next step will probably be a complete hearing assessment to rule out any more serious conditions and try to diagnose the underlying cause.
Protect your hearing
Even when you’re pregnant, while you’re managing so many other things, it’s important to be certain you pay attention to and protect your hearing. One of the best ways to do that is to remain in touch with us and with your care team. Give us a call today to set up a hearing assessment.