A new study confirms that Covid-19 is associated with deafness, tinnitus, and dizziness

Some viruses like Measles, mumps, meningitisWhat about SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, which can cause hearing impairment?

In the first few months of the pandemic, Rapid systematic review A comparison of COVID-19 with deafness revealed a possible association between COVID-19 and auditory vestibular symptoms (deafness, tinnitus, dizziness). However, both the quantity and quality of early studies were low. Now that the pandemic has been going on for over a year, more studies have been published, allowing researchers to estimate how common these symptoms are.

My colleagues and I identified about 60 studies reporting hearing vestibular problems in people with confirmed COVID-19. Analysis of pooled data International Journal of Hearing, 7% -15% of adults diagnosed with COVID-19 report symptoms of vestibular sound. The most common symptom is tinnitus (tinnitus), followed by deafness and dizziness.

Tinnitus

Tinnitus is a common condition and affects about 17% of all adults. Most people with tinnitus also have deafness, suggesting a close relationship between the two. In fact, tinnitus is often the first warning that, for example, loud noises or exposure to toxic drugs to the ear has damaged the hearing system. Interestingly I have a report Tinnitus is a common symptom of long-term COVID, which appears weeks or months after the infection has disappeared.

The auditory organs are clearly very sensitive. Almost everyone If they are in a very quiet environment, they will experience temporary tinnitus.There is also a strong connection between Tinnitus and stress.. It is not uncommon to pay attention to the sound of the ears when people wake up at night and are stressed or anxious due to imminent deadlines, financial concerns, or bereavement.

This is usually less annoying once the sources of stress and anxiety have been removed. Surprisingly, hearing professionals rely on self-reporting because there are no clinical tests that can diagnose tinnitus.

It is unknown why tinnitus has been reported to people with confirmed COVID-19. The virus can attack and damage the auditory system. On the other hand, the psychological and emotional stress of a pandemic can be a trigger. However, care should be taken when interpreting these findings, as it is not always clear whether the study is reporting existing or new symptoms. What is lacking is a quality study comparing tinnitus in people with and without COVID-19.

Deafness and dizziness

Hearing impairments associated with COVID-19 have been reported in a wide range of age groups and in the severity of COVID-19, from mild (and managed at home) to severe (requiring hospitalization). There are several case reports of sudden hearing loss in one ear, often accompanied by tinnitus.

Sudden deafness occurs in the surrounding area 20 people per 100,000 people every year.. It is treated with steroids to reduce swelling and inflammation of the inner ear. However, treatment tends to work only if it is started shortly after the onset of deafness.

SARS-CoV-2 may be the cause, as we know that the virus can cause sudden deafness Case report Deafness in COVID patients. However, the number of cases of COVID-19 worldwide is so high that it is difficult to say for sure whether there are more cases of sudden deafness than we generally expect each year.

Another commonly reported symptom of COVID-19 is dizziness. It can be very difficult to distinguish this from vertigo, which is characteristic of damage to the balance system of the inner ear. However, the best estimate is that vertigo occurs in about 7% of COVID-19 cases.

The beginning of our understanding

Given the importance of providing timely evidence to inform healthcare services, information from this new systematic review is welcome, but so far the evidence has been in investigations and case reports. Is based. Given the high proportion of COVID-19 in the population, it is important not to diagnose in the absence or chance of auditory vestibular symptoms. However, the results of the review may simply reflect the beginning of an understanding of this urgent health condition.

What is lacking is a carefully conducted clinical and diagnostic study comparing samples from people tested positive for COVID-19 with samples from non-COVID controls. To that end, we are leading a year-long study to investigate the long-term effects of COVID-19 on the auditory vestibular system of people who have previously been hospitalized for the virus.

About the author

Kevin Munro is Professor Ewing of Hearing, Director of the Manchester Center for Hearing and Deafness (ManCAD), Deputy Director of the NIHR Center for Biomedical Research in Manchester, and a Theme Leader in Hearing Health. He is an Honorary Consultant Clinical Scientist at the Manchester NHS Foundation Trust. Kevin is the only audiologist to be awarded the status of Senior Research Fellow of NIHR, a Principal Investigator of the British Academy of Hearing, an Expert Advisor of the NICE Guidelines Center, and a member of the Scientific Advisory Group of the National Institute for Health Research. He is chair of the Northwestern Krai Advisory Board for NIHR Studies for the benefit of patients. He has held many positions within the profession, including the chair of the British Academy of Hearing and the council of the International Journal of Hearing. He is an honorary member of the British Auditory Society and “is recognized for his outstanding contributions to the education, research and leadership of auditory science.”

This article is courtesy of conversation..