Tinnitus and Covid 19

Tinnitus is an unusual and complex condition and when the COVID-19 pandemic struck the UK in early 2020, the impact on hearing and tinnitus was not uppermost in our minds. The subsequent months have seen us all adapting to a new way of living alongside this virus, which will remain for some months, possibly years to come.

However, the novel coronavirus COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) has been reported to, potentially, have a deleterious effect on hearing sensitivity (Mustafa 2020).

In July Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust surveyed 138 individuals who had been admitted as inpatients due to COVID-19 infections. 13.2% of patients reported a change in hearing and/or tinnitus since being diagnosed with COVID-19.

Just over 5% reported developing tinnitus post infection with COVID-19 (Munro et al 2020). Other authors have also reported that the anxiety associated with the impact of COVID-19 may contribute to the elevation in tinnitus awareness (Xia et al 2020).

An increased stress level is known to heighten tinnitus awareness, but the impact of the COVID-19 virus is a new finding, and potentially one which has lifelong implications for thousands of people.

It is too early to know with certainty whether these reported auditory symptoms are actually induced by COVID-19 or whether this is coincidental. There will be further scientific studies which provide us with the full evidence that we would want to read, to know for certain that COVID-19 does cause tinnitus both on its own, or with, hearing loss in some people.

Just over 5% reported developing tinnitus post infection with COVID-19

(Xia et al 2020)