Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2 / COVID-19) and Tinnitus

My tinnitus is worse than my hyperacusis or whatever I have. It's still the same, a really high pitched multi-toned noise that rarely fluctuates. I went to the park with my dog early this afternoon. The loud buzzing sound outside is the closest thing I have ever heard that resembles what "I hear in my ears and head." I guess that is kinda good when you can't tell whether sounds are coming from outside or if that's the tinnitus. I guess it kinda masks it temporarily.

It's always worse at night especially when you want to go to bed. I don't foresee how any researchers are going to have a *real* treatment for this. One that universally treats most of our tinnitus conditions?!? Hopefully, but it sucks being a cynic and skeptical. I don't want to be...

 

Yeah, in Ontario. Someone got tackled by two cops in a Tim Hortons because he didn't want to wear a mask. No mass protests as a result though.

Oh did you mean research studies in Ontario? I think I didn't qualify for one and others were already initiated, IIRC. I forget the details but I wasn't able to.

 

@kelpiemsp got cured - I believe he was part of Susan Shore's device trial.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...on-effect-dont-do-it.40880/page-4#post-530200

No, I was asking about the mask/COVID-19 fiasco.

 

Over 4 million cases of coronavirus reported in the US. That's the consequence of trying to put the economy before health issues.

 

Did you see the posts citing all the false and manipulative reports?

Be gullible and believe all of that if you want.

 

Hi @Bill Bauer,

You wrote to PeteJ "I am More sorry that a decent person like yourself has been struggling with tinnitus, than I am that some other folks [who aren't as decent] have been affected by it (I feel sorry even for them)."

Does this mean "folks" who agree with you are "decent" and those who don't are not? You clearly have a hierarchy of empathy for tinnitus sufferers based on their political beliefs? Would that carry over to cancer, diabetes, or any other disease or condition, COVID-19, or is it just tinnitus?

 

I think he was part of the U of MN trials. I wonder why he never checks in anymore? I had some questions for him regarding TMJ, etc.

 

So, I'm not decent because my politics doesn't match yours? How do you know it's because of that and not because I chatted with him before?

Nevermind. Don't answer. I don't care what it is.

 

Hello all,

I hope you're all hanging in there. I'm due to fly from the US to South Korea for work this coming Monday, but I'm having second thoughts. I've seen multiple people report that contracting COVID-19 has made their tinnitus worse. A few have also claimed that it caused their tinnitus. This is extremely concerning to me, as my tinnitus getting worse is my biggest fear in life. I'd much rather skip the trip, get fired, and deal with the consequences of that than go and end up with a bad, permanent increase.

I'm really just not sure what to do here. I'm meant to stay in Seoul for the next 6 months, and once I get there and do my 2 weeks quarantine, my risk of catching it is significantly lower than here in the states. Unfortunately getting there requires me to be on a plane for 16 hours (albeit in Business class the whole way), increasing my risk of acquiring the virus vs. my day to day life here at home. Of course, none of that really matters if the virus doesn't cause/worsen tinnitus as I'm really not concerned about it otherwise, but I'm just seeing so many anecdotal reports that it does I feel like it would be foolish not to take them seriously. Sigh.

Anybody have an advice for me? Or care to share your experiences with having COVID-19? Has anyone on the forum had it, and noticed an increase in their tinnitus?

 

I could certainly see the treatment of the disease causing an increase in tinnitus from the medications. The disease itself causing tinnitus I'm less certain about. Being in South Korea for 6 months would make you really safe though. It's a tough dilemma.

 

That was my first thought, too. I'd think the meds are more likely to cause T than the virus, but I don't really know anything about this stuff lol.

 

ou are more likely to be safer from COVID-19 in South Korea than USA.

Majority of those Asian countries even before COVID-19 would usually wear face masks when they go out so more likely not to get infected with COVID-19.

 

I guess at this point, nobody knows whether the virus itself is capable of worsening the tinnitus. As lot of people experienced respiratory illnesses alone may worsen tinnitus either temporarily or permanently. Azithromycin definitely can worsen your symptoms, quinine based stuff too, but WHO doesn't recommend that as a treatment anymore. On the forum, there is a thread about it, but it deals with more like the general discussion about COVID-19, I only know of @Ed209's experience. He suspects that he had the virus, but if I remember correctly his T was not affected by it, but was horrible for him and his family.

 

That's the consequence of not locking down for enough time. The US is going to be the country where most people die by COVID-19.

 

The alarm is way overdone. People here have posted about being sick way before COVID-19 happened. I had a cold before COVID-19 was first discussed. Yes, tinnitus intensifies. But, it goes back to whatever your normal is. Medications may do something if taken regularly for a long time. In summer, I think the immune system can fight off whatever unless you are uncommonly fragile, old or have a compromised immune system for some reason.

P.S. I think any health condition can intensify (what word to use) tinnitus. Call it spike or whatever. Mine is virtually always bad or what I call crazy or screaming. But, there are times when it's less "intense" or I perceive the tones have changed a bit. A little less "crazy" and some tones are more 'slow." I don't know how to describe it.

I can say with certainty, though, that I always have it it's most severe when I have a headache, when I had a really bad cold and after dentist visits. All involve some drastic change to the body. But, the "normal" returned although my normal is still severe.

 

WHO said only N95 face masks are truly effective and hardly anyone wears those. I really urge people to research and not just follow the MSM and Public Health minions blindly. At least, take an effort since it's one of the most, if not the most defining moment or event in recent history. That is, I don't understand why people aren't interested when others question what's going on. Why don't people wonder about it?!?

 

This is strange - I haven't received a notification about your post.

I treat people (and animals) in accordance with the (positive or negative) impact their actions have on the probability of me being harmed.

 

It's very scary what's going on especially in the USA but it's generally universal in Western countries. Anti-Lockdown protesters and anyone criticizing and challenging the coronavirus response by governments and public health agencies are vilified and scorned. Before, they were just mocked and maybe ridiculed but the reaction by the masses is getting more aggressive and volatile.

The MSM is also obviously pushing a spin or narrative in which all ("critics") are placed in the same basket. 'Seen this before.

It's bad enough having tinnitus. I am afraid of someone yelling in my ear and freaking out.

 

Hey, Bill. I hope all is well. I'm curious to hear your perspective about Covid and its potential impact on tinnitus. I've lurked here on the forums for years and from your posts know that you are a very cautious person, with regards to tinnitus. I have a great amount of respect for your opinion when it comes to protecting ones self from inadvertently making their tinnitus worse. What do you make of all the anecdotal reports from people that have claimed that covid caused or worsened their tinnitus? I'm due to get on a longhaul flight to Korea on Monday and the idea of getting covid and potential worsening my tinnitus has me ready to back out, and get fired from my job. Do you think the risk of catching covid and subsequently having it make tinnitus worse is worth cancelling plans over?

 

I read about 30 or 40 pages of this thread, and I don't remember reading any reports where someone's tinnitus has gotten worse permanently. I remember that about two people (including Ed209) mentioned that they got a temporary spike. I don't remember reading about anyone's tinnitus being caused by COVID-19. Spikes due to COVID-19 seem to be a lot more rare than spikes following exposure to a loud noise. Or is it the case that some people who are on my Ignore list had posted many horror story and the risk isn't actually low?

Having said the above, I support taking all of the low-cost precautions one can. It makes sense to wear a good mask and to try to stay away from crowded places. What doesn't make sense is blowing up the economy/one's life (and having to spend the next decade recovering from the consequences of one's choices).

There are many factors to take into account. If losing this job will have a huge impact on your life, then it would seem to me that the risk (which seems to be small - small risk of catching it if you are wearing an N95 mask, and even if you catch it the risk of it impacting your tinnitus wouldn't be 100% - it would be small; it is also the case that the younger one is, the lower is the chance that one will have a bad experience with COVID-19) would be justified. If you can easily find a similar job, then perhaps it makes sense to might as well not take this risk. Can you get an N95 or an N99 mask or a respirator?

 

This was on Reddit this morning:

https://nos.nl/artikel/2341733-onderzoekers-radboudumc-vinden-defect-gen-dat-corona-verergert.html

It's in Dutch but someone posted the Google translate in the (Reddit) comments.

The takeaway seems to be they there is a gene they think might heavily influence effective immune response to COVID-19, and is a significant factor in worse outcomes especially in young people called TLR7.

If anyone has had 23andMe or Ancestry.com done you can upload your genetic data to promethease to see if you carry the less common variant that produces worse symptoms. It's on the X chromosome which also might be another reason men may be on average for severely effected.

 

Ahh sorry I should have been more specific here. I belong to a Facebook group for tinnitus support and there have been quite a few in that group that have reported COVID-19 either starting or worsening their tinnitus. It definitely makes me feel a bit better knowing that nobody here has reported a permanent increase.

Yeah I'd likely be out of work until the economy recovers as nobody in my field is hiring for the time being. I'm quite lucky to have even kept my job honestly. I'm also 30 with no pre-existing conditions so my risk of complications is rather low.
(I'm the youngest in my office by close to 20 years, which I'm assuming is why they are sending me). Sadly I've not been able to find an N95 or N99 mask anywhere. The best I can do it a KN95 mask with nasal defense screens under it. I'll be in a business class suite that has a door on it, and a solid 10-12 feet from the nearest person, assuming anyone sits behind me (last I checked, there were only 3 other people in the business class cabin out of 32 seats). I feel like the risk is rather low, but the thought of a potential worsening of my tinnitus has me unable to make a rational decision.

Thanks for the thorough reply by the way.

 

After about 6-8 weeks, ask the ones who made such a report whether their tinnitus went back to their baseline.

After seeing a KN95 mask at my local store, I looked into it and it appears that KN95 masks provide pretty much the same level of protection as an N95 mask.

The risk seems to be low. And now that I think of it, with something like 10% of the population and the members here having had COVID-19, if it were to cause a permanent worsening of tinnitus in a non-trivial fraction of the sufferers, we would have seen many more reports on this site of it happening.

 

Hey Guys,

Long time prowler, first time poster here.

I was wondering who here had their tinnitus either originate, or get worse with stress/anxiety? During an extremely stressful 2017, during a mental breakdown, I generated highly distressed tinnitus for about a year. Once removing myself from that environment and getting my life back on track, I found that over about 8 months following, my tinnitus settled down to a point where if it was still there, I barely noticed it.

However, for the past 2 months or so, I've noticed the volume spiking and becoming more noticeable all day. I've been very isolated since COVID-19. And while I can still work, it's completely remote. Along with the COVID-19 situation, being at home so much, and working/living in the same apartment 24/7 for the last 4 months, I'm noticing my mental health in general starting to deteriorate. I can feel depression starting to sneak back in, and anxiety. Also feeling mild disassociation. I'm also dealing with my father having terminal cancer, and likely doesn't have long left.

In your experience, have you found that the stress and other contributing mental health conditions can agitate and increase tinnitus's intensity?

Thank you.

 

I would have more concern about the flight. Before I ever got tinnitus, my ears would crackle but the worst thing would be the ear pain.

I think that experience will be worse than some imagined worsening from covid.

At worst, a spike or more intense ringing like when you get a cold or the flu. Eventually, it goes back to "normal." I suspect that is the experience for most and anything worse than that would be, imho, uncommon and rare. My tinnitus is excessively loud and severe with multiple tones so I am not speculating lightly. I am trying to answer as if the question also pertained to me.

 

Long time prowler myself, and also first time poster here. My tinnitus from 4 years ago was largely habituated in the past two years, and pretty much my only concession to it was to wear my little earbuds at night playing a YouTube video with raindrops in it at low volume. Really helped. That and some excellent therapy with a tinnitus-oriented psychotherapist.

But then last week, I SUDDENLY woke up with the first major spike I've had in a very long time. It lasted a day, and while I was a bit freaked, it seemed okay the next day. I attributed it to too much work lately, maybe too much salt at dinner and red wine. All seemed fine enough (maybe a bit louder than baseline), until this morning yet again I woke up with louder-than-usual tinnitus, which I'm experiencing now. I'm playing my raindrops quietly as I work today, but it's depressing and a little freaky. I thought I'd made such progress.

Anyway, I DO think that the stress of the pandemic is absolutely weighing on all of us. My partner is having his own health/stress related problems, and he thinks the same. This has all been such a grind for so many of us, and I think it just turns the gain in my audiotory cortex way up. Sigh.

Just trying to ride it out today. But just wanted to reach out and say hang in there -- I do have enough experience (you probably do too, though we all need to be reminded sometimes) that this WILL pass and get quieter/manageable again. It always has. It's just a total drag when we're in the midst of it. Sending everyone here good energy!

 

Hi Bill,

"The Garden of Earthly Delights " is amazing. Following Hieronymus Bosch , Francisco Goya of Spain had some really dark images expertly rendered.Check out " Saturn devouring His Son",

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opin...wear-mask-prevention-virus-column/5494984002/

"Mask deniers."
I think people should be allowed to tell covid fanatics a different narrative and allowed to express their rights including doubts and questions about the coronavirus without this kind of oppression. "Mask deniers." It's getting ridiculous. It scares me.

 

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...rch-with-acoustic-and-body-stimulation.28022/