Tinnitus, Equilibrium Disorders, and Anxiety in COVID-19

Year 2023, Volume: 33 Issue: 3, 81 - 88, 04.10.2023

Selin Eroğlu Doğa Turhanoğlu Sude Naz Büyüksaraç Doğa Türkü Doğancı Pelin Deniz Pelin Koçdor

https://doi.org/10.26650/Tr-ENT.2023.1327932

Abstract

Objective: Researchers have previously investigated the connection between COVID-19 and equilibrium disorders (ED) and tinnitus. The present study aims to investigate the prevalence of tinnitus and ED in people post-treatment after being positive for COVID-19 and the association of these symptoms with Anxiety and demographic features.

Material and methods: Patients from two tertiary hospitals with positive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests for SARSCOV-2 between August 2020 and May 2021 were contacted by phone. The recruited patients were asked to complete our questionnaire over the phone, a developed Turkish version of a previously applied ‘10-item close-ended questionnaire’ by Viola et al.

Results: Sixty-two patients experienced ED before COVID-19 (8%). After COVID-19, the incidence of ED sufferers increased to 178 (22%), which was statistically significant (p=0.001). 110 (25.28%) of 435 female patients and 68 (18.37%) of 370 male patients had post-COVID ED. It was significantly more common in women among COVID-19 survivors (p=0.019). The number of patients who experienced tinnitus before COVID-19 was 64 (7%) and 105 (13%) after COVID-19. It was found statistically significant that the tinnitus increased after COVID-19 (p=0.001) Beck’s Anxiety Inventory ( BAI) scores were significantly higher in the post-COVID ED and post-COVID tinnitus sufferers (p=0.001, p=0.047).

Conclusions: COVID-19 survivors had significantly suffered tinnitus or ED. BAI scores were significantly higher in post-COVID ED and tinnitus sufferers. So, it can be said that the patients with high Anxiety experienced more tinnitus and ED post-COVID period.

Keywords

Tinnitus, balance, vertigo, COVID-19, Anxiety

Thanks

We would like to express our very great appreciation to Gülen Varan Uçak for helping with data collection of this research work. Her willingness to give her time so generously has been very much appreciated.

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