The effects of coronavirus disease 2019 diagnosis and national lockdown on hearing loss, tinnitus, vertigo and migraine: the outcome of a prospective cohort study

Abstract

Objectives: To identify changes in hearing loss, tinnitus, vertigo, and migraine in individuals with Ménière's disease diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 and during the UK national lockdown.

Method: Patients were questioned regarding coronavirus disease 2019 status and how their symptoms of hearing loss, tinnitus, vertigo, and migraine changed because of the pandemic. Of the 411 participants recruited into this study, 382 had a self-reported coronavirus disease 2019 status.

Results: Of those individuals with a positive coronavirus disease 2019 diagnosis, 43 (11.3 per cent) were more likely to experience worsening symptoms of hearing loss and tinnitus. Worsening symptoms of hearing loss and tinnitus, but improved symptoms related to vertigo, were observed during the UK national lockdown.

Conclusion: A diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 and/or experiencing the consequences of a national lockdown potentially resulted in a worsening of hearing loss and tinnitus symptoms. Symptoms of vertigo were found to have improved during the same period.

Keywords: Covid-19; dizziness; meniere disease; vertigo.