Dr. Clarice Saba, a specialist in ear, nose, and throat medicine in Brazil, experienced sudden hearing loss in her right ear just one week after getting her first dose of the COVID-19 adenovirus vaccine.
“I did all the exams and could not find any other reason other than because of the shots,” she said.
Multiple studies have connected sudden hearing loss to the vaccine, with the most comprehensive study originating from France.
Four hundred cases of post-vaccine sudden sensorineural hearing loss were evaluated, with 345 medical reports assessed by two audiology experts for potential causality.
“[Sudden sensorineural hearing loss] after COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are very rare adverse events,” the French authors concluded, adding that these rare adverse events ‘do not call into question the benefits of mRNA vaccines but deserve to be known given the potentially disabling impact of sudden deafness.”
The connection between COVID-19 and its vaccines with hearing loss remains unknown. Some research indicates that the SARS-CoV-2 virus might replicate within the ear, potentially damaging blood vessels and nerves.
Studies examining hearing issues in COVID-19 patients have revealed inflammation in the inner ears, inflamed cochlear and vestibular nerves, and instances of ear bleeding.
The COVID-19 mRNA vaccines prompt the body to produce spike proteins associated with the virus. Studies conducted on animal cochlear cells have demonstrated that these spike proteins can harm the cochlea. Additionally, these spike proteins bear resemblance to more than 28 human proteins.
Therefore, some research on hearing loss theorizes that proteins found in the ears, including those within the cochlea, may share structural similarities with spike proteins. This similarity could potentially trigger autoimmune damage as the body’s immune system responds.
According to Dr. Jordan Vaughn, an internal medicine physician, the spike proteins present in COVID-19 vaccines can contribute to micro-clotting, thickening the blood and making it more sluggish. This slower blood flow can impede oxygen exchange and place strain on the nerves and cells within the ears.
Since the pandemic, Dr. Saba has seen a rise in hearing loss and tinnitus.
Tinnitus is a much more common and acknowledged adverse effect of the COVID-19 vaccine than some. A well-known case of vaccine-related tinnitus was reported by vaccinologist Dr. Gregory Poland, who developed the condition after getting his second Pfizer dose.
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