And the virus has also recently been found in similar cells lining the middle ear, explain the report authors. SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, is thought to lock on to a particular type of cell lining the lungs. The first case of hearing loss mentioning COVID-19 alone was reported in April this year. “Hearing loss and tinnitus are symptoms that have been seen in patients with both COVID-19 and influenza virus, but have not been highlighted.” “Despite the considerable literature on COVID-19 and the various symptoms associated with the virus, there is a lack of discussion on the relationship between COVID-19 and hearing,” say the report authors. He tested negative for other potential causes, including rheumatoid arthritis, flu, and HIV, prompting his doctors to conclude that his hearing loss was associated with COVID-19 infection. He was treated with steroid tablets and injections after which his hearing partially recovered. But a hearing test showed that he had substantially lost his hearing in the left ear. And apart from asthma, he was otherwise fit and well.Įxamination of his ear canals revealed that he had no blockages or inflammation. He had not lost his hearing or had ear problems before.
He was treated with remdesivir, intravenous steroids, and a blood transfusion after which he started to get better.īut a week after the breathing tube was removed and he left intensive care, he noticed ringing (tinnitus) in his left ear followed by sudden hearing loss in that ear. He was put on a ventilator for 30 days and developed other complications as a result. He was transferred to intensive care as he was struggling to breathe. He had been admitted to hospital with COVID-19 symptoms which had been going on for 10 days.
The doctors describe a case of a 45-year-old man with asthma who was referred to the ear, nose, and throat department at their hospital after suddenly experiencing hearing loss in one ear while being treated for COVID-19 infection as an inpatient. It’s not clear what the causes are, but the condition can follow a viral infection, such as flu, herpes, or cytomegalovirus.ĭespite plenty of published research on sudden onset hearing loss, only a handful of other cases associated with COVID-19 have been reported, and none in the UK-until now. Sudden hearing loss is frequently seen by ear, nose, and throat specialists, with around 5-160 cases per 100,000 people reported every year. Related article: COVID-19 May Damage Hearing Cell Function, Study Shows An article summariSing the results appears on the EurekAlert website.Īwareness of this possible side effect is important, because a prompt course of steroid treatment can reverse this disabling condition, they emphasise. Although uncommon, sudden permanent hearing loss seems to be linked to COVID-19 infection in some people, warn doctors, reporting the first UK case in the journal BMJ Case Reports.