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HealthCAST: For some, long Covid includes hearing loss

MIAMI – Kelsie Gonzalez got married last year. It was the perfect day despite the bride’s struggles with long Covid.

The vicious virus attacked Gonzalez’s inner ear and caused unexpected hearing loss.

“I woke up one day with a ringing in my ear, a muffled sound. It was difficult to hear in my right ear,” Gonzalez said. “It felt like there was water in it.”

Studies show the sooner a doctor treats the patient the more the chance to recover the hearing.

Dr. Adrien Eshraghi, an otolaryngologist at U-Health, treated Gonzalez with steroid injections into the ear.

That reduced inflammation and helped to restore her hearing. She needed more help to deal with the loud ring.

The brain receives the information from the ear and auditory nerve, but when that information is missing, the brain tries to compensate.

The missing connection causes tinnitus, a perception of sound when no external sound is present.

“The intensity of the ring just got louder and louder,” Gonzalez said. “I felt very isolated in group settings. I couldn’t concentrate on building social relationships with family and friends. I felt alone in a room of people. I was just in my head with that horn sound in my ear.”

Dr. Haimd Djalilian, an ear and tinnitus specialist with the University of California’s Irvine Medical Center, uses migraine medications.

“We can settle the process and make the ringing quieter,” Djalilian said.

Gonzalez is also on a migraine-prevention diet.

“I really feel like I got my life back. I feel like myself again,” Gonzalez said. “If I can help one person who may be feeling the same way or experiencing the same symptoms it would be worth it.”

The diet excludes caffeine, chocolate, and processed meats.


About the Author
Kristi Krueger headshot

Kristi Krueger has built a solid reputation as an award-winning medical reporter and effervescent anchor. She joined Local 10 in August 1993. After many years co-anchoring the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m., Kristi now co-anchors the noon newscasts, giving her more time in the evening with her family.

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