The Common Cold & Your Hearing

You don’t need us to tell you that an awful lot of people are suffering with coughs and colds right now. Generally speaking, most of us will have fully recovered from illnesses like these in a week or so. However, sometimes a cold can leave a lasting effect.

Fluid Build Up

Often when you have a cold, you experience some form of fluid build up which causes congestion. Obviously, this can affect your hearing. Usually, this is temporary and will clear up when your cold does. More rarely, the build up of fluid creates a pressure in your inner ear and can cause damage to the fine hairs in your cochlea. This causes a hearing loss. Again, this can be temporary but if it is left for too long, can end up becoming a permanent issue.

Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Hearing loss caused this way is known as sensorineural hearing loss. Unfortunately, this kind of hearing loss can often be put down to the cold and people go on assuming it will clear up by itself. It is so important to be aware of your health and anything that you believe has changed and is going on for longer than expected. If you have experienced this kind of hearing loss and it hasn’t cleared up in a timely manner, you should seek medical advice from a GP or a hearing healthcare professional.

Ear Infections

It is common to develop an ear infection when suffering from a cold. These infections can easily be treated with antibiotics. If you do have an ear infection, it’s important that you look out for any of the following symptoms and seek medical advice if you do experience any:

• Dizziness
• Earache
• A feeling of pressure in your head
• Hearing loss or muffled hearing

You should always ensure that you finish a course of antibiotics, even if you believe the infection has cleared up.

If you need any further advice, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

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