The link between COVID-19 and hearing loss

We’ll soon be heading into the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, and while economies are starting to open up again, the human toll the virus is taking is still just as bad.

One of the long-term effects of COVID appears to be hearing loss, with millions of people worldwide reporting symptoms.

Latest studies

Scientists at the University of Manchester and NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) have recently released a report on hearing loss associated with COVID-19.

Approximately 10% of adults affected with the virus report audio-vestibular symptoms, sometimes up to months later.

Another study also found a link between hearing and balance and coronavirus infection. University College London also found a link between hearing loss and COVID.

Most common side effects

Tinnitus

We’ve talked before about tinnitus, which seems to be the most commonly reported side-effect of COVID-19.

Even without coronavirus, almost 1-in-5 adults suffer from tinnitus, but research is indicating a close link between the two.

Psychological or emotional triggers of tinnitus, such as poor-quality sleep, loneliness, depression, and anxiety have been aggravated during this recent pandemic.

In fact, some studies have shown that people with tinnitus found their symptoms getting worse during the pandemic, regardless if they caught COVID-19 or not.

Hearing loss

Many people who have contracted COVID have reported hearing loss, usually in only one ear.

This might be due to the nature of the antibodies created to fight off the virus. COVID tends to hide out in the ear, nose and throat, and when the body produces antibodies to fight it off, sometimes the cochlear nerve is collateral damage.

Dizziness

The inner ear is also responsible for balance as well as hearing, and any damage can cause dizziness and vertigo.

It’s estimated that around 11% of COVID-19 patients suffer long-term balance issues, with severe cases reporting vomiting, nausea and constant spinning.

Long-term COVID

Long-term COVID is now emerging as a serious issue.

Sometimes called post-COVID or long-COVID, the symptoms vary wildly and don’t seem to have any correlation to how bad the initial symptoms were.

The most common symptoms include extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain or tightness, and problems with memory and concentration (called “brain fog” by many).

And of course, tinnitus, hearing loss and dizziness.

Any kind of hearing loss should be reported to a medical professional, preferably an ENT specialist, who should carry out tests to rule out other causes.

As we learn to live with COVID, we learn more about its effects and treatments as we go.

But whether it’s related to COVID or not, any kind of hearing loss must be seen by a doctor, as soon as possible.

Some types of hearing loss are treatable, but only if you act fast.