Doctors Have Discovered Another Puzzling Coronavirus Symptom

A study in the International Journal of Audiology says patients might suffer two different hearing-related issues after COVID-19 — hearing loss or tinnitus, a ringing in one's ears, reports BGR . The researchers examined 121 adults who experienced severe coronavirus symptoms, with 13 percent reporting hearing impairments eight weeks after they left the hospital. The authors note that hearing loss and tinnitus can result from other activities, including treatments for COVID-19. "We already know that viruses such as measles, mumps, and meningitis can cause hearing loss, and coronaviruses can damage the nerves that carry information to and from the brain," said University of Manchester Professor Kevin Munro. "It is possible, in theory, that COVID-19 could cause problems with parts of the auditory system, including the middle ear or cochlea." Although a separate study in JAMA Otolaryngology found the virus was detected in the inner ear, it is not sufficient to prove it caused hearing loss or tinnitus. Munro admits that other factors "might include stress and anxiety, including the use of face masks that make communication more difficult, medications used to treat COVID-19 that could damage the ear, or other factors related to being critically ill."