Table of contents:
- Is it true that chicken pox causes hearing loss?
- Chickenpox treatment to reduce the risk of hearing loss
Smallpox causes resilience to the skin all over the body. Apart from feeling itchy, chickenpox is also followed by other symptoms, such as fever, decreased appetite, weakness, and abdominal pain. In severe cases, chickenpox can cause complications, one of which is hearing loss. However, is that true?
Is it true that chicken pox causes hearing loss?
Chicken pox is an infection from a virus Varicella zoster . When it attacks a child, the symptoms are quite mild. However, it will get worse if it is an adult who has never been sick with smallpox before.
If you look at the symptoms are similar to the flu, only accompanied by the appearance of watery resilience that itches all over the body. Fortunately, chickenpox can be treated at home with prescription antiviral medications and itch-relieving creams. However, the risk of complications remains if the patient does not get the right treatment.
Hearing loss is referred to as one of the complications of chicken pox. This is indeed true, not a myth that you can take for granted.
As per a Birmingham Children's Hospital report, 1 in 20 cases of chickenpox causes an ear infection.
This statement is reinforced by the results of a study conducted in 2014 in the journal Trends in Hearing . The study reports that several types of viruses can cause hearing loss, one of which is Varicella zoster .
This virus causes infection of the middle ear canal, causing symptoms, such as:
- Hearing impaired
- The appearance of pain in the ear
- Discharge from the ear
Researchers think hearing loss is more likely in children or the elderly who get chickenpox.
Even though you have had chickenpox before, the virus that causes it will still be in your body and in a state of sleep. If the virus returns to "wake up" (usually due to a weak immune system) and attacks the named part geniculate ganglion, can cause a rare disease, namely Ramsay Hunt syndrome.
This syndrome affects the nerves near the inner ear and weakens the muscles on one side of the face. So, it can be concluded that ear infection and Ramsay Hunt syndrome due to chickenpox make ear function impaired, although this is a very rare case for Ramsay Hunt syndrome.
Chickenpox treatment to reduce the risk of hearing loss
Apart from ear infections and Ramsay Hunt syndrome, chicken pox can also cause other complications, such as impetigo (bacterial infection of the skin), varicella meningoencephalitis (varicella infection of the central nervous system), and shingles (shingles).
To prevent the complications of chickenpox, patients must receive proper treatment. In people who are at risk for complications, the doctor will prescribe antiviral drugs to stop the infection, such as acyclovir (Zovirax, Sitavig) or another medicine called intravenous immunoglobulin (Privigen).
These medicines can reduce the severity of chickenpox when given within 24 hours of the first appearance of the rash. In some cases, doctors will recommend that patients get the smallpox vaccine after being exposed to the virus. The goal is to reduce the severity of the symptoms it causes.
To relieve other symptoms of chickenpox, such as fever and itchy skin, the doctor will prescribe acetaminophen and calamine powder or cream, and antihistamines.
Home care is also needed to prevent hearing loss when exposed to chickenpox. For example, increasing the intake of nutritious foods to boost the immune system to fight infection. Then, don't scratch the bouncy skin and always keep the body clean so that bacteria don't infect the scar.
