| Hearing Loss and Hepatitis C |
 |
 |
 |
|
Wednesday, 01 October 2008 23:47
|
|
If you keep up with the Hep C online support groups, chances are, sooner or later, you will hear somebody talking about “tinnitus,” or ringing in the ears, and other hearing problems. Tinnitus and hearing loss can be caused by many things – certain medications, pressure on the auditory nerve, blood flow problems, obstructions to the inner ear, and autoimmune activity. A quick search through PubMed or Google reveals a few scholarly articles on tinnitus and/or hearing loss caused by interferon treatment; however, hearing loss and/or tinnitus caused by interferon usually subsides soon after treatment ends. Unfortunately some people with hepatitis C report that their hearing problems did not go away after they stopped treatment; so if the interferon didn’t cause it, what did? There are quite a few autoimmune-related conditions that have tinnitus, and/or hearing loss as part of the symptoms. Some of these are: fibromyalgia, thyroid disorders, depression, and Meniere’s disease, which can be autoimmune, genetic or idiopathic (cause unknown). Meniere’s disease also causes episodes of vertigo, where you may feel that you are falling even when lying down and that the world is spinning so quickly that it makes you want to vomit. A search on Google for “Interferon and Vertigo” produces quite a few hits. Vertigo can also be caused by an unknown virus (viral labyrinthitis), which inflames the part of the inner ear that controls balance, or it can be caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) in the vestibular ganglion, where information on linear acceleration and the influence of gravitational pull is processed. Sometimes a visit to your doctor can help you if your vertigo is caused by particles floating in the inner ear chamber. The doctor may use the canalith repositioning procedure. This is a series of movements performed in your doctor’s office to move particles from the fluid-filled canals of your inner ear into the utricle (a small sac in the labyrinth). In some people, the vertigo becomes so bad that surgery is necessary; however the upshot of the surgery is usually permanent hearing loss in the affected ear. In any case, if you have ringing in your ears that doesn’t go away, try picking up the phone . . . and if that doesn’t work, go see your doctor. http://www.hcvadvocate.org Add this page to your favourite Social Bookmarking websites;         
  |
