Reports of people experiencing tinnitus after receiving the Covid-19 vaccine have been increasing, and researchers are starting to explore the possible link between the two. Theories have surfaced suggesting that ongoing inflammation, particularly in the brain or spinal cord, maybe the cause. While the CDC has received over 16,000 complaints about tinnitus following Covid-19 vaccinations, they have not found any data suggesting a link between the two, although they have not released the results of internal reviews to the public. Studies are ongoing, and researchers are trying to determine if a biomarker exists that can help identify people at higher risk of developing tinnitus after getting the vaccine.
Tinnitus is a phantom noise that a person hears in their ear and no one else can. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders estimate that 25% of adults in the US experience it. There are many potential causes, including age-related hearing loss, certain medications, ear infections, and high blood pressure. While a study published last fall found that the risk of tinnitus after receiving the Covid-19 vaccine was "low," reports of it still exist.
Shaowen Bao, an associate professor in the physiology department of the College of Medicine at the University of Arizona, is investigating the possible link between the vaccine and tinnitus. He surveyed 398 members of a Facebook group of people who developed tinnitus after getting the Covid-19 vaccine. The cases tended to be severe, with participants reporting ringing in their ears, as well as other symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, vertigo, ear pain, anxiety, and depression. Significantly more people first developed tinnitus after the first dose of the vaccine compared with the second.
Poland, who was stricken with tinnitus after he received his Covid-19 vaccine two years ago, suggested that the CDC remains "unconcerned" about these reports of tinnitus. His personal experience has caused him to receive emails from strangers "almost daily" who say they experience the same constant noises and believe it was triggered by the Covid-19 vaccine.
A team at Stanford Medicine Molecular Neurotology Laboratory in California has begun studies to find the potential underlying mechanism of tinnitus. The goal is to find a biomarker that may help identify a person at higher risk of developing tinnitus after receiving a vaccine. "We think that many forms of tinnitus reflect some damage in the inner ear," said Dr. Konstantina Stankovic, an otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeon who is leading the new research. "And then the brain tries to compensate for the damage and starts to make a sound of its own." The study is in its earliest phases, with Stankovic's team collecting blood samples from fewer than 20 patients so far.
Tinnitus sufferers often find the condition significantly affects their quality of life, and while researchers are still exploring the possible links between the Covid-19 vaccine and tinnitus, it is essential to report any adverse side effects to the CDC.
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