We are seeing a number of patients over the past year that are experiencing otologic symptoms in addition to the well known changes that have occurred with the sense of smell. The early covid strain (Wuhan-1) strain affected the supporting cells that are essential to the olfactory neurons. See fig 1
We believe the supporting cells are affected by the SARS-COV2 virus which ultimately effects the olfactory receptor cells resulting in either complete loss of smell or parosmia (abnormal sense of smell). With subsequent mutations of the virus, loss of smell and disorders of smell and taste diminished.
We have been seeing otologic symptoms such as hearing loss, tinnitus and vertigo associated with the delta and omicron variants. There has been an increase in these symptoms in otherwise previously unaffected patients after the second and third doses of the mRNA vaccines. It is very difficult to quantify the risk, who is at particular risk, and whether it is definitively caused by either the virus or the vaccines. It is clear from studying these conditions that there have been many viruses including the zoster virus (chickenpox) which can affect the inner ear.
Since the inner ear is a closed immunologic system akin to the central nervous system, this means very few drugs or pathogens cross the blood-brain barrier to affect these nervous tissues. This diagram shows the histology of the inner ear cellular architecture. You can see there are many cell types that can be potentially affected by viral pathogens and each affected cell may respond with the damage that we perceive as either hearing loss, tinnitus or vertigo.
When they do however, they cause problems that result in either hearing loss, ringing in the ears and possibly dizziness. All of this is predicated on the particular cells affected in the inner ear organs.
At this point in time we are only able to make observations and correlations. It will require large scale studies to assess whether these findings are coincidence or for real. In the mean time, many of us are continuing to document these findings and try to offer treatments that have been shown to work in the past including the use of oral steroids, high dose vitamin D and zinc, lipoflavenoids and niacin supplements which provided relief for patients with tinnitus. I will update substack as we gather more information.
Thanks for posting about this. Tinnitus is getting more and more common, and hard to solve. It's good to know an ENT is trying to address this.
thank you for this report.
I was encouraged to get both pfizer vaccines in April and May of 2021. I am taking care of my 98 year old father, and in order to enter his fancy neighborhood (Ashby Ponds in Northern Virginia) I had to be vaccinated. They did change that rule months later.... j'regrette.
After the second vaxx, I had a headache and ringing in my ears the moment I arrived home.
I thought it was just exhaustion, I had a busy day and seasonal pollen effects me,
Well that night I slept deeply, and woke in the morning with still a headache, and ringing in my ears. I also found myself completely in a tight ball laying on my right side in bed, legs bent up and arms tight to my chest. My right shoulder ached from laying on that side (i had the injection on my left) and my right hip bone ached as well. I got out of bed and felt sore all over. I experienced some other sound when I moved my head around. It is hard to describe, I guess something like a shushing noise. It was very distracting.
Well, as the day wore on, I had a strange heart burn sensation in my throat.
So this went on for quite a few days, 2 weeks. I took pepcid, tylenol, hydrated properly. My shoulder became more stiff, I put heat on it, and my hip bone also bothered me at night
I am 67
I have for the past 10 months become more and more stiff, my knees hips, shoulders elbows more and more stiff. My NP ran a pile of tests, all came back negative pretty good.
The pain and stiffness is all day. At night, the past two weeks, I wake up two or three times with pain in both of my knees. horrible pain. I still get the ringing in my ears off and on and the throat chest thing, my NP ordered a sonogram of my thyroid. I have a small nodule on my right, I am getting a Bx in two weeks.
Yesterday I started a 12 day course of Prednisone. Today I feel normal.
It is believed I developed Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, I have never had any symptoms of this condition.
So this is my story. I regret getting the vaxxine
My only health history I have is sacroiliitis from years of figure skating and falling hard on my sacrum. I am a retired (many years) RN