Tinnitus, Equilibrium Disorders, and Anxiety in COVID-19

Authors : Selin Eroğlu, Doğa Turhanoğlu, Sude Naz Büyüksaraç, Doğa Türkü Doğanci, Pelin Deniz, Pelin Koçdor

Pages : 81-88

Doi:10.26650/Tr-ENT.2023.1327932

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Publication Date : 2023-10-04

Article Type : Research

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