Understanding Hearing Loss During Pregnancy

Sure, pregnancy is amazing and wonderful. But in terms of how it can make you feel, it can be rather uncomfortable, at least in some cases. There are all sorts of weird side effects, like morning sickness, health hazards, and changes to your body. Getting there can be a bit of a process, but that doesn’t detract from the happiness of being a parent.

And now we can add hearing loss to that list of drawbacks.

Most individuals don’t instantly connect hearing loss with pregnancy. So it might be surprising to learn that pregnancy-related hearing loss is fairly prevalent. It’s not a bad plan to keep an eye out for these symptoms. Pregnancy-associated hearing loss isn’t something you should be worried about in most cases. In other cases, the cause is a serious issue and might require immediate medical attention. Will pregnancy-related hearing loss subside? Well, it could be, depending on how rapidly you treat it and what the root cause is.

What are the symptoms of pregnancy-related hearing loss?

You usually won’t hear about pregnancy-related hearing loss in pop-culture. It isn’t nearly as cinematic as something like morning sickness. This means that, generally, people may be less likely to anticipate pregnancy-related hearing loss. So, it may be beneficial to know what to watch out for.

Pregnancy-related hearing loss goes beyond just turning up the volume on your devices, after all. The most prevalent symptoms include the following:

• Dizziness and imbalance: The inner ear can be impacted by pregnancy-related 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 may be accompanied by dizziness and balance issues if you have a problem with your inner ear. And that also goes for pregnancy-induced hearing loss.
• Headaches and migraines: Regular headaches and migraines can also be more consistent.
• You feel plugged in your ears: A feeling of fullness in the ears frequently accompanies pregnancy-induced hearing loss.
• Everything seems quieter: Sure, this is probably the most apparent indication of hearing loss. But if it happens all of a sudden, it’s something known as “sudden sensorineural hearing loss”. You should report any abrupt hearing loss during pregnancy to your doctor as soon as possible. In order to prevent sudden hearing loss from becoming irreversible, you may need emergency treatment.
• Tinnitus: Pregnancy-related hearing loss is often associated with tinnitus, or a ringing or buzzing in the ears. The rhythm and sound of your tinnitus symptoms can, in some circumstances, sound like your own heartbeat which is called “pulsatile tinnitus”. Whether this tinnitus exists by itself or with hearing loss, it’s worth consulting your doctor about what you’re feeling.

None of these symptoms are necessarily universal. Depending on the underlying cause of your pregnancy-induced hearing loss, you may experience some symptoms but not others. In any case, if you experience hearing loss or any of the associated symptoms while you are pregnant, it’s generally a good idea to talk to your doctor. Because these symptoms may be an indication of a more serious issue.

The causes of pregnancy-induced hearing loss

Does being pregnant affect hearing? Well, possibly, in some cases. But being pregnant might also affect other parts of your body that will then go on to affect your hearing.

So, what are the potential causes of pregnancy-induced hearing loss? Well, the causes differ… but some of the most common include:

• High blood pressure: When you’re pregnant, high blood pressure can trigger tinnitus and hearing loss. And this is, in part, why it’s very important to tell your provider about your hearing loss. Serious conditions, including preeclampsia, can trigger high blood pressure. These are problems that need to be tracked carefully throughout your pregnancy.
• Bone growth: There’s a rare affliction called otosclerosis in which the tiny bones in your ear begin growing more rapidly, and this accelerated growth blocks the ability of sound to pass through your ears. Pregnancy produces hormonal changes and other body changes that can cause this kind of bone growth. Otoscerlosis research is still an ongoing process, and scientists are still figuring out just how much it impacts hearing.
• Some of the typical things: Whether you’re pregnant or not, typical things like blockages, sinus infections, and ear infections can cause hearing loss.
• Hormone and circulatory changes: Your body is doing an extraordinary amount of work when you get pregnant. As a consequence, all kinds of changes are happening, both in terms of your hormones and your circulatory system.
• An iron deficiency: Your health, and the health of your baby, can both be affected in lots of ways by an iron deficiency. One of those impacts can in some cases be hearing loss in the woman who is pregnant.

In some cases, the cause of your hearing loss may be hard to determine. Routinely talking to your physician and keeping an eye on your symptoms is the key here.

How is this form of hearing loss managed?

The root cause of this kind of hearing loss will generally determine the course of treatment. The question that many people have is: will my hearing loss clear up? Once your pregnancy has ended, your hearing should return to normal, or maybe even sooner.

However, this is not always the situation, so it’s important to be aggressive when you observe symptoms. You may require extra treatment if bone growth is blocking your ear canal, for example. Likewise, if you experience sudden sensorineural hearing loss, the outcome will depend on how quickly you receive treatment.

That’s why it’s so important to be sure you report these symptoms to your provider. You might then undergo a comprehensive hearing screening or evaluation to help get to the bottom of your symptoms (or at least eliminate any of the more severe possible impacts).

Protect your hearing

Even when you’re pregnant, while you’re managing so many other things, it’s important to be certain you watch out for and safeguard 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 schedule a hearing evaluation.