Self-reported Tinnitus and Vertigo or Dizziness in a Cohort of Adult Long COVID Patients

Abstract

Tinnitus, vertigo and dizziness are symptoms commonly reported among Long and Post COVID patients, however the severity of these symptoms has not been assessed in large trials. Therefore, in this study a large cohort of Long COVID patients was surveyed about the presence and severity of tinnitus and vertigo or dizziness symptoms. The online survey was completed by a German cohort of 1,082 adult Long COVID patients after a mean period of 43.2 weeks ± 23.4 weeks after infection. Eighty percent were not fully vaccinated (at least two vaccinations) at the time of their first COVID symptoms and 9.8% were hospitalized in the course of their acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. At the time of the survey, 60% of patients reported the presence of vertigo or dizziness with a mean severity of 4.6 ± 2.7 on a scale of 1 (least severe) to 10 (most severe) and 30% complained of tinnitus with a mean severity of 4.8 ± 3.0. Approximately one fifth of the participants with tinnitus and vertigo or dizziness, rated their symptoms to be severe. The data shown in this study confirms that tinnitus and vertigo or dizziness are common symptoms in Long COVID patients and demonstrates, that a compelling number of patients rate their symptoms as severe. The self-reported severity highlights the need for Long COVID clinics to address these symptoms effectively. We suggest a multidisciplinary diagnostic and therapeutic approach to prevent further morbidity and socioeconomic burden for Long COVID patients suffering from severe vertigo, dizziness or tinnitus.

Prevalence and Trajectories of Post-COVID-19 Neurological Manifestations: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…3, 4). Four studies only reported data about neurological conditions other than the 13 selected (vertigo/dizziness, tinnitus, dysphonia, primary CNS lymphoma, and brain tumor) and therefore were excluded [22‒25]. The neurological conditions with reported prevalences higher than 20% during the acute phase of COVID-19 were anosmia/hyposmia (58.9; 95% CI: 47.4–70.0), fatigue (44.5; 95% CI: 32.9–56.5), headache (35.4; 95% CI: 27.8–43.4), encephalopathy (29.7; 95% CI: 16.2–45.1), cognitive impairment (24.8; 95% CI: 13.238.4) and cerebrovascular disease (21.0; 95% CI 7.6–38.2).…”

“…This systematic review and meta-analysis provides data about the prevalence of neurological manifestations from the literature published during the first two and a half years of the pandemic. The best evidence on the prevalence of neurological signs/symptoms/disorders in COVID-19 survivors came from large studies [24] or registries [10], meta-analyses of general long-COVID-19 manifestations [11,12], three neurology-specific metaanalyses with <15,000 COVID-19 cases [12][13][14], and meta-analyses of single neurological manifestations [26][27][28][29]. More than 1.5 million COVID-19 survivors from 46 different countries are represented in this review, and we have generated data about the trajectories of the neurological manifestations for up to 1 year after the acute phase of COVID-19.…”

IL-6 Serum Levels in COVID-19 Patients With Vertigo

“…Neurological symptoms were prevalent, with 60% of long COVID reporting some degree of vertigo or dizziness. The need for collaborative treatment techniques in long COVID-19 clinics, including experts in otorhinolaryngology, is highlighted by the high prevalence of neurotological symptoms such as vertigo [18].…”

Relationship between tinnitus and olfactory dysfunction: audiovisual, olfactory, and medical examinations

“…Research has shown that individuals can experience auditory, vestibular, olfactory, and gustatory dysfunctions for an extended time following a COVID-19 infection ( 31 ). Additionally, numerous literature reviews have demonstrated that long-term COVID is frequently associated with tinnitus and olfactory and gustatory dysfunction ( 32 ). These findings are consistent with the results of our report.…”