Winter is coming, all kinds of respiratory diseases are coming one after another, flu, mycoplasma pneumonia, colds, respiratory syncytial virus infection that is currently circulating, and the new crown is also silently haunting, they are all menacing and unprepared. There are also annoying chronic diseases such as rhinitis, which tend to get worse in winter.
In addition to respiratory symptoms, these diseases can also sometimes cause earache, ear tightness, and even hearing changes.
What causes hearing changes?
The most common causes are poor drainage of the Eustachian tube and upper respiratory tract infection. The Eustachian tube is a passage that connects our ears to the nasopharynx, which is normally closed, and it only opens when we open our mouth, swallow, yawn, and sing to keep the pressure inside and outside the middle eardrum equal. However, when we have a cold and upper respiratory tract infection, bacteria and viruses can also retrograde infect the middle ear from the nasopharynx and oropharynx through the eustachian tube, resulting in our middle ear infection, commonly known as "otitis media", which is generally manifested as ear stuffiness and mild hearing loss.
Upper respiratory tract infections
According to the relevant literature, about 2 3 children under the age of 3 have suffered from at least one acute otitis media. The disease is closely related to upper respiratory tract infections, and it has been reported in the literature that the incidence of otitis media in children with upper respiratory tract infections is as high as 10%, which may lead to hearing loss if not prompted**.
Another study also showed that patients who had acute upper respiratory tract disease in the month prior to their diagnosis of otitis media had a significantly increased risk of otitis media compared to those who had not had acute upper respiratory tract disease in the year prior to diagnosis.
Allergic rhinitis
Patients with long-term rhinitis feel that their hearing in their left and right ears is inconsistent. After seeing a doctor, I found out that the main cause was still my own allergic rhinitis. When the inflammation is controlled, the Eustachian tube is cleared, the fluid in the middle ear is slowly absorbed or drained, and hearing is restored.
Covid
The most common cause of hearing loss after coronavirus infection is secretory otitis media. It usually appears 1-3 weeks after the new coronavirus infection. Presents with ear tightness, tinnitus, hearing loss, unilateral or bilateral.
The new coronavirus also has a certain degree of neurotropism, and the most common loss of smell and taste in patients infected with the new coronavirus is caused by the virus invading the nerves that sense smell and taste. If the virus infects the cochlea or auditory nerve, sudden deafness can also occur.
Blowing your nose
Excessive and incorrect blowing of the nose can also lead to retrograde infection of the eustachian tubes, leading to acute otitis media.
Excessive exertion may also cause perforation of the eardrum, mainly due to excessive air pressure in the eustachian tube.
How to cope with sudden changes in hearing?
1. Seek medical treatment in time and actively cooperate with the most important countermeasures. The severity of many problems is often caused by delaying the optimal intervention time, or not following the doctor's instructions because of the fear of various medications.
2. Don't use drugs without permission, especially prescription drugs. Some drugs may be ototoxic, and the dosage is also strictly required, so it is important to follow the doctor's instructions.
3. Some of the currently prevalent diseases are viral, and there is no specific drug, so maintaining sufficient rest can help the body recover.
4. If hearing loss does occur, it is also very important to choose hearing aids and assistive listening devices in time to slow down the continuous decline of hearing.