Can Covid-19 make tinnitus worse?

Team Udayavani, Nov 9, 2020, 4:10 PM IST

New research has found that tinnitus is being exacerbated by Covid-19. Published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health, the study was led by Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) in the UK

She was supported by the British Tinnitus Association and the American Tinnitus Association.

Tinnitus is a common condition that causes the perception of noise or ringing in the ears and head. It can be triggered by a variety of factors, including exposure to loud noises, inner ear damage and stress.

The study was of 3,103 people with tinnitus from 48 countries, with the vast majority coming from the UK (24 per cent) and the US (49 per cent).

As reported by Dailymail, 40 per cent of those displaying symptoms of Covid-19 simultaneously experienced a worsening of their tinnitus. More than half, 54 per cent, said it had made no change to their condition, while six per cent said Covid-19 had improved it, for reasons such as the coronavirus took their mind off the ringing in their ears.

Although the study focused on people with pre-existing tinnitus, a small number of participants also reported that their condition was initially triggered by developing Covid-19 symptoms. This suggests that tinnitus could be a Covid symptom in some cases.