Natalie Lambert, an associate professor of biostatistics and health data science at Indiana University School of Medicine, surveyed nearly 5,200 Covid-19 long-hauler patients and found that nearly 17 percent reported new tinnitus, with more than three-quarters of those people saying it was happening. She warned that more research is needed to confirm the results, which have not yet been peer-reviewed or published in a medical journal.
There is also evidence that Covid-19 symptoms can exacerbate existing tinnitus. In an online survey of nearly 3,100 people from 48 countries suffering from tinnitus, the researchers found that among the 237 people who experienced Covid-19 symptoms, 40% said their tinnitus symptoms worsened significantly. Almost a third of all respondents also reported that the stress of the pandemic itself exacerbated their tinnitus, even though they had not contracted Covid-19. “We know that anxiety can make tinnitus worse and it becomes a vicious cycle: the worse the tinnitus, the more anxious you become,” said Hildrew. “It becomes a very aggressive loop that can be difficult to break.”
How does tinnitus affect mental health?
When Marlene Suarez contracted Covid-19 during the second week of January, her symptoms of fever, cough and difficulty breathing were not so severe that she needed to be hospitalized, but were bad enough to warrant treatment with monoclonal antibodies to reduce her risk. serious complications. About a week after the diagnosis, while watching TV, she noticed a ringing in her left ear and could not hear anything in her right.
“I went to the emergency room, where the otolaryngologist on call said he was probably from Covid-19,” said Suarez, 62, a lawyer in Collinsville, Illinois. The touch continued for weeks. “I was so depressed and afraid of never getting better,” said Suarez. “I speak and speak for a living – how would I be able to have a conversation with a client or present in court if it constantly seemed that bells were blowing up on my left side?”
Ms. Suarez received oral corticosteroids for several weeks and now, more than two months later, her tinnitus and hearing loss have now largely been resolved. But for many with more chronic ringing in the ears, the result can be devastating.
Tinnitus has been linked to several mental health conditions, including anxiety and depression, especially in women. “It can be particularly challenging for many people initially because it is something they have absolutely no control over,” said Richard Tyler, an audiologist at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. “No one can tell them if it is going to get worse or if it is going to end. All of a sudden, they have trouble sleeping, can’t keep up with a conversation, and can’t concentrate. It can seem like an overwhelming challenge. “
The condition was also associated with an increased risk of suicide. In a research letter published in JAMA Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery in 2019, researchers found that among more than 16,000 adults in Sweden who had previously experienced tinnitus, women – and in particular those with severe tinnitus – had a small increased risk of suicide. However, those who had been diagnosed and possibly treated for the condition were not at increased risk.