{"id":5083,"date":"2019-05-17T18:25:05","date_gmt":"2019-05-17T22:25:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pentadocs.com\/?p=5083"},"modified":"2023-12-04T17:21:50","modified_gmt":"2023-12-04T22:21:50","slug":"mumps-and-hearing-loss-another-argument-for-immunization","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pentadocs.com\/mumps-and-hearing-loss-another-argument-for-immunization\/","title":{"rendered":"Mumps and Hearing Loss: Another Argument for Immunization"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A recent increase in mumps cases across the U.S. has made headlines this spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Outbreaks have been observed in 41 states and the District of Columbia, with 736 reported cases from January 1 to April 26 of this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That number pales in comparison to the 186,000 cases reported annually before a vaccination became widely available in 1967 but is still alarming given the effectiveness of the immunization and the possible serious side effects of mumps \u2013 a list that includes hearing loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are Mumps?<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Mumps are a viral respiratory infection that belong to the same family as measles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are highly contagious, most often transmitted via infected saliva spread through the air by coughing and sneezing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Symptoms appear about two weeks after exposure and include swollen salivary glands, pain when chewing or swallowing, fever, headache, muscle aches, weakness, fatigue and loss of appetite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though rare, serious complications can occur in people who have been infected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These include inflammation and swelling of the testicles, ovaries, breasts, pancreas and brain; fluid buildup around the brain and spinal cord and hearing loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Connection Between Mumps and Hearing Loss<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Between 1-4 percent of patients diagnosed with mumps will develop hearing loss<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The number is small but still concerning, especially given the widespread availability of a safe and effective vaccine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hearing impairment is usually single-sided (confined to one ear) and, because it affects the inner ear, permanent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Experts aren\u2019t certain why mumps sometimes leads to a loss of hearing<\/strong>, but suspect the virus can attack the cochlea, irreversibly damaging the tiny hair cells that are responsible for transmitting nerve impulses to the brain that are interpreted as sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Preventing mumps is the key to eliminating the risk of hearing loss associated with the virus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The MMR vaccine<\/a> protects against mumps as well as measles and rubella, other once-common childhood ailments that can also cause hearing impairment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make sure to have your child inoculated around 12-15 months of age \u2013 their pediatrician will determine a vaccination schedule \u2013 and again between the ages of 4 and 6.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An additional booster shot in the teen years may also be recommended; individuals who have received two or fewer mumps vaccinations have a higher risk of catching the disease than people who have had all three.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regardless, the long-term effectiveness of the MMR vaccine is around 80 percent. The vast majority of cases occur in people who have never been vaccinated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Doylestown audiologist can provide you with more information on the correlation between mumps and hearing loss if you are interested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Related Hearing Loss Posts:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n