CONNECTICUT, USA — Scientists have done amazing work trying to fully understand SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, all while fighting it in real-time. However, the work to understand all of COVID’s long-term effects will itself be a long-term project.
When it comes to any potential impact the virus has on hearing problems, the work is just beginning.
A new study has come out that supports the idea that the virus could be behind a whole host of hearing-related issues, and it started tackling the issue by answering the underlying question of whether the inner ear can be infected by SARS-CoV-2 at all.
“The study, in a nice way, shows that the inner ear itself, which is a very specialized organ can be infected by the virus,” said Dr. Marc Eisen, from Ear Specialty Group of Connecticut.
The study was published recently in the journal Communications Medicine. It found that many cells in the inner ear have a makeup that allows them to be infected by the virus. This is far from proof, but it’s jibes with what Eisen said he and his colleagues are seeing in their practice.
“So, my colleagues and I, anecdotally, think that we're seeing more sudden loss of hearing and balance function in one year. So, that's an entity called labyrinthitis, and we think we're seeing an uptick in labyrinthitis in its frequency, with COVID, but that really is not causative,” Eisen said.
He said they’re also seeing a preliminary connection to COVID in other areas, like tinnitus - or ringing in the ears - as well as general hearing loss.
“We definitely, from an anecdotal standpoint, are seeing patients who have COVID, and then get problems with those three symptoms,” said Eisen.
Any connection to tinnitus, specifically, needs a lot more study, because believe it or not, tinnitus is not an inner-ear problem.
“It's unfortunate that it's really hard to study because it's a brain phenomenon,” said Dr. Eisen, “this is not your ear making noise, it's your brain making noise.”
It’s important to note that a lot of these ear problems have a variety of potential causes, including a number of other viruses.
Tim Lammers is an anchor at FOX61 News. He can be reached at Tlammers@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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