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While many Covid-19 patients only experience symptoms for a matter of days, others are plagued with issues for months after their infection. This has widely become known as Long Covid, and now a new study has warned that some Long Covid patients experience hearing loss for months. Researchers from Anglia Ruskin University looked at the hearing problems affecting Covid-19 patients, both in the short and long term.
In the study, the team analysed 3,103 Covid-19 patients with tinnitus - a condition that causes a constant ringing or buzzing in the ears. The analysis revealed that 40% of the participants experienced a worsening of their tinnitus amid their Covid-19 infection.
And while the majority of participants had pre-existing tinnitus, a small number reported that their conditions as initially triggered by developing Covid-19 symptoms. This suggests that tinnitus could be a long Covid symptom in some cases. Dr Eldré Beukes, who led the study, said: “The findings of this study highlight the complexities associated with experiencing tinnitus and how both internal factors, such as increased anxiety and feelings of loneliness, and external factors, such as changes to daily routines, can have a significant effect on the condition.
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“Some of the changes brought about by COVID-19 appear to have had a negative impact on the lives of people with tinnitus and participants in this study reported that COVID-19 symptoms are worsening or, in some cases, even initiating tinnitus and hearing loss. This is something that needs to be closely examined by both clinical and support services.” The study comes shortly after researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital found that skin rashes are also a common problem among Long Covid sufferers.
In the study, the team analysed 990 Long-Covid cases from 39 countries, and found that on average, patients experienced dermatological symptoms for 12 days. However, some people reported skin issues for up to 150 days. These skin issues ranged from hives to chillblains, while several patients experienced ‘Covid toes’
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Dr Esther Freeman, who led the study, said: "Our registry identified a previously unreported subset of patients with longstanding skin symptoms from COVID-19. “We highlight patients with pernio/chilblains, also known as COVID toes, who have had symptoms for as long as 150 days. “This data adds to our knowledge about how COVID-19 can affect multiple different organ systems, even after patients have recovered from their acute infection. The skin can provide a visual window into inflammation that may be going on elsewhere in the body."
