Monday, March 22, 2021

COVID associated with hearing loss, tinnitus and vertigo – new study confirms link

 Some viruses, such as measles, mumps and meningitis, can cause hearing difficulties, but what about SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19?

In the first few months of the pandemic, a rapid systematic review of COVID-19 and hearing difficulties revealed a possible link between COVID-19 and audio-vestibular symptoms (hearing loss, tinnitus and vertigo). However, both the quantity and quality of the early studies were low. Now that the pandemic has been with us for over a year, more studies have been published and researchers have been able to estimate how common these symptoms might be.

My colleagues and I have identified about 60 studies that report audio-vestibular problems in people with confirmed COVID-19. Our analysis of the pooled data, published in the International Journal of Audiology, reveals that 7%-15% of adults diagnosed with COVID-19 report audio-vestibular symptoms. The most common symptom is tinnitus (ringing in the ears) followed by hearing difficulties and vertigo.

Tinnitus

Tinnitus is a common condition, affecting around 17% of all adults. Most people with tinnitus also have hearing loss, suggesting a close link between the two. In fact, tinnitus is often the first warning that, for instance, exposure to loud noise or drugs that are toxic to the ear has damaged the hearing system. Interestingly, there are reports that tinnitus is a common symptom of long COVID, which is where symptoms last weeks or months after the infection has gone.

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