Can mumps cause permanent hearing loss?

嗨，关于你的问题，我来分享一下我的理解。

Mumps Can Indeed Cause Permanent Hearing Loss

Yes, you heard that right. While it's not a common occurrence, mumps is indeed one of the leading causes of acquired permanent, unilateral sensorineural hearing loss in children and adolescents. It's considered one of the most severe complications of mumps.

How Does It Happen?

You can imagine the mumps virus as a 'wanderer' that likes to roam around the body.

Viral Invasion: When a person is infected with the mumps virus, it primarily attacks the parotid glands, which are the areas that swell up on the sides of our face. However, sometimes this virus can travel through the bloodstream to 'cause trouble' in other organs of the body.
Attack on the Inner Ear: Unfortunately, the inner ear is one of its targets. The virus can invade the most delicate part of our inner ear – the cochlea. The cochlea contains hair cells responsible for converting sound signals into nerve signals, as well as the auditory nerve that transmits these signals.
Causing Damage: The virus causes inflammation in the inner ear, damaging these fragile hair cells and auditory nerves. These nerve cells are very delicate, and once severely damaged, they are almost incapable of regeneration.

This is similar to a camera's image sensor (CCD/CMOS) being burned out; even if the lens is fine, you can't take pictures. Therefore, this type of hearing loss is usually permanent.

What are the characteristics of this type of hearing loss?

Sudden Onset: It usually occurs suddenly; one might wake up to find one ear has lost hearing.
Unilateral: In most cases, it affects only one ear.
Severity: The degree of hearing loss is often severe, even leading to total deafness.
Often Accompanied by Tinnitus and Vertigo: This is because the inner ear is also responsible for our sense of balance.

Most Important: How to Prevent?

This point is actually the simplest and most effective:

Get Vaccinated!

That's right, get the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine.

Since the widespread adoption of the MMR vaccine, cases of mumps-induced hearing loss have significantly decreased. It can be said that vaccination is the best shield to protect children's hearing from this risk.

In Summary

The Risk is Real: Mumps can lead to permanent hearing loss, although it's a rare occurrence.
Prevention is Key: Getting the MMR vaccine on time and with the full dosage is fundamental to preventing all of this.
Seek Medical Attention Promptly: If, during or after a mumps infection, you suddenly experience hearing loss, severe tinnitus, or a sensation of spinning, you must see a doctor immediately! Early intervention might save some hearing, but the effectiveness varies from person to person.

Hope this explanation helps you!