If your ears ring, Covid-19 can make it worse

More than 50 million Americans suffer from some type of tinnitus or ringing in the ear. Of those, nearly half describe tinnitus as “burdensome” and more than 2 million people in the US find it debilitating. Tinnitus is the perception of sound when no objective extrinsic sound is emitted. It can be perceived as a buzzing, a heartbeat, a high tone, or static. It can occur in one or both ears and can be associated with other ear problems, such as hearing loss, earache, or dizziness. It can occur during the day or (very commonly) only at night, while the person suffering from tinnitus is trying to fall asleep. While there is no cure, there are medical and surgical treatment options, the latter of which could compromise hearing. Most people have experienced brief bouts of tinnitus at some point, be it after a flight, while recovering from a cold, or even briefly while going to sleep. But long-term tinnitus is extremely disturbing and hardly sounds pleasant.

Here are some examples of what people with tinnitus hear:

Covid-19, as is the case with many viruses, can affect the peripheral nerves. One of the first findings in patients suffering from SARS-CoV-2 infections was anosmia, or loss of the sense of smell. This phenomenon is due, in part, to nasal swelling, but also because the virus impacts and damages the olfactory nerve, which is responsible for identifying different smells between the nose and the brain.

As we begin to see some long-term issues from those recovering from Covid-19, we begin to notice that some issues are not resolved. In fact, they can even get worse. A recent, internationally-based study examined more than 3,000 people from 48 countries with a history of tinnitus. More than 40% of tinnitus patients who developed Covid-19 infections reported a worsening of tinnitus symptoms after recovering from acute viral illness. People who described themselves as socially and emotionally isolated were more likely to describe their tinnitus as more bothersome, even if the perception of the actual sound was no worse.

In addition to tinnitus, another study evaluated the incidence and / or worsening of hearing loss associated with Covid-19 infections. A small study based in the United Kingdom, published in the International Journal of Audiology revealed that patients with hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo (dizziness) reported a worsening of symptoms even 8 weeks after recovering from Covid-19 infections.

Just as viruses such as measles, mumps, chickenpox (chickenpox or shingles) can affect nerves temporarily or permanently, growing evidence of longer-term neurological deficits due to Covid-19 infections is beginning to emerge. .