Manchester Biomedical Research Center in UK has an extensive hearing loss program to improve lives of adults and children. And its work spans prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Now, it has discovered systematic evidence of COVID hearing loss, with a knock on to balance and tinnitus too. ‘There is an urgent need for a carefully conducted clinical and diagnostic study’ says Prof Kevin Munro, study leader.
An Association between Coronavirus, Hearing and Balance
First, the research team correlated data from fourteen earlier studies. Then it confirmed all of these had found a link between COVID, hearing loss and vestibular balance issues. The vestibular is the part of the inner ear involved with balance control and eye movement.
The data told Prof Munro and his team some 7.5 to 15% of people with the coronavirus have hearing and balance difficulty. ‘This is something we should take very seriously,’ he told Sky News on March 22, 2021.
That’s because we already know other viruses including mumps, measles and meningitis can damage sensitive sensory inner ear systems. Therefore, many people must have been affected, the Prof says. But some are ongoing while others have settled down, so we face lots on unknowns.
COVID Hearing Loss: The Effect on Tinnitus and Balance
The study data suggests 7.6% of subjects had COVID hearing loss, 14.8% tinnitus, and 7.2% vertigo balance difficulties. Paul Johnson, aged 53 gave Sky News a graphic description of his tinnitus. He has been experiencing a high pitched whistling sound since admitting to hospital with COVID in December 2020. But the sensations actually began two weeks earlier.
Prof Kevin Munro is planning a follow-up study to factor lifestyle and other factors into the relationship they found. Another recent study found 13% of discharged COVID patients reported a change in their hearing. The Prof has numerous emails from people confirming this.
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Preview Image: The Human Inner Ear
