With the global pandemic reaching its one-year milestone, the effects of the disease are being felt all over the world. But an often-silenced community is that of the hearing-impaired. The British Tinnitus Association – a charity which focuses on finding a cure for the auditory issue of Tinnitus - recently published an article on how there is increasing concern about the impact of coronavirus of people’s auditory health. [1]
In research undertaken by Professor Kevin Munro and PhD Researched Ibrahim Almufarriji, they discovered “56 studies that identified an association between Covid-19 and auditory and vestibular problems”. [2] From these collective studies they estimate that throughout the pandemic “the prevalence of hearing loss was 7.6%, tinnitus was 14.8% and vertigo was 7.2%”. [3]
With “40%”of tinnitus patients reporting that COVID-19 negatively affected their tinnitus and overall hearing, the issue is widespread and deeply felt. [4] The use of safety measures such as social distancing and masks has also impacted people who are hearing impaired with limited availability to lip-read, thus reducing confidence in social situations.
Hearing loss can affect balance, sleep, socialisation and, in some cases, an increased sensitivity to certain sounds which makes online calls over software like Zoom much more difficult. And with no known cure for auditory problems such as tinnitus, the issue is not going away.
To help support the ongoing research into hearing loss, and to help those who have had their hearing negatively impacted by COVID-19, you can donate to the British Tinnitus Association on their website at their donation page :
