COVID-19 HAS BEEN LINKED to many long-term complications, including heart or lung damage and neurological disorders. One emerging symptom or complication for a small percentage of cases is increased hearing loss and ringing in the ears (tinnitus) days or weeks after the onset of the virus. It appears that these symptoms are not part of the initial onset but often develop days or weeks later.
We know that many different bacterial and viral infections, such as measles, mumps, and meningitis, can cause hearing loss. However older coronaviruses, SARS and MERS, did not appear to cause hearing loss or tinnitus.
In March 2021, the effects of COVID-19 on the hearing system made news when it was announced that the CEO of Texas Roadhouse Restaurants, Kent Taylor, 65, had died by suicide after a COVID-19 infection, which caused his tinnitus to be extremely distressing and unbearable to him. In fact, he had recently committed funding to a clinical study to help military members who have tinnitus from loud noise exposure. As a result of Mr. Taylor’s death, many people are speaking up and sharing that they too have tinnitus that was made temporarily worse by a COVID-19 infection. There are also multiple reports of tinnitus worsened temporarily after people have received the COVID-19 vaccinations.
Tinnitus is a condition that causes ringing, buzzing, chirping, hissing, or other noises in one or both ears. It may be very soft or loud and may be high or low pitched, or a combination of both. It can vary depending on body position, time of day, or activity level. The amount of background noise present will determine how loudly the tinnitus is perceived at any given time. Tinnitus is also perceived differently by each person. Additionally, the degree of annoyance or distress caused by the tinnitus will vary greatly from person to person. At least 10% of the adult population has had tinnitus in the past year.
There’s a wide range of what is “normal” for people experiencing tinnitus, with some people having more severe cases than others. In fact, ringing is a normal sign or symptom of the aging process of the ears. Loud noise exposure at any time in one’s life can cause ringing to occur, either immediately following the exposure or even years later. The side effects of loud noise exposure are hearing loss and ringing in the ears, and each episode of noise exposure adds up to more hearing loss and more ringing over the years. Other causes of ringing in the ears include exposure to solvents, certain medications such as IV anti biotics or chemotherapy drugs, certain combinations of drugs, various infections and viruses, and certain vascular conditions.
At the present time, tinnitus is not listed as a COVID-19 symptom by either the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or by the World Health Organization (WHO). However, as mentioned above, there are many reported cases of tinnitus post COVID-19. The International Journal of Audiology published a recent study finding that 15% of adults diagnosed with the virus reported a hearing issue (hearing loss, tinnitus, or balance trouble), with tinnitus being the most common ear-related symptom reported.
It is unknown how or why the virus can cause tinnitus or worsen pre-existing tinnitus for people. One theory is that the virus causes an overreaction of the immune system, leading to a disruption between the ear and the brain. Another theory is that the tinnitus is due to inflammation in the auditory system, meaning inflammation in the ear itself and/ or its nerve connections within the brain.
Tinnitus often slowly fades away for some people, but for others it lingers on or worsens, regardless of the cause. If a physician suspects that a person’s tinnitus has been caused by or initiated from a virus like COVID-19, he or she may recommend anti-inflammatory or prescription steroid medications. For people who have tinnitus following COVID-19, there is not enough data at this point to determine whether the COVID-19 caused it and what the timeline of improvement will be.
Additionally, certain medications used to treat the virus have a relatively high risk of hearing loss, tinnitus, and dizziness as side effects. These medications include chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine.
If you have tinnitus, hearing loss, or balance trouble following COVID-19, be sure to speak with your physician about it and have your hearing tested by an audiologist to determine whether you have hearing loss as well as the tinnitus. Note: If you experience sudden hearing loss at any time, this should be treated as a medical emergency. The faster you get treatment, the more likely the hearing can be restored.
Feel free to call the audiologists at Northwest Ohio Hearing Clinic if you would like to be seen for a hearing evaluation or have questions regarding tinnitus or hearing loss.
Shelly Horvat, AuD, CCC-A, is a Doctor of Audiology with Northwest Ohio Hearing Clinic, located at 1125 Hospital Dr., Suite 50 in Toledo (419- 383-4012) and 1601 Brigham Dr., Suite 160 in Perrysburg (419-873-4327).
