Can COVID-19 Cause Hearing Loss or Tinnitus?

Among the many less-discussed ways COVID-19 can affect the body, changes to hearing sit somewhere between well-documented and still genuinely being understood. If you've developed tinnitus or noticed changes in your hearing around the time of a COVID-19 infection, you're describing a connection that researchers have taken seriously.

What symptoms are actually involved?

The main auditory and related symptoms reported alongside COVID-19 include tinnitus, meaning ringing, buzzing or other phantom noises in the ears, sensorineural hearing loss, including a sudden form known as sudden sensorineural hearing loss and vestibular problems affecting balance, such as vertigo or dizziness. These don't all occur together in every affected person and tinnitus specifically tends to be the most commonly reported of the group.

How common is tinnitus after COVID-19?

Estimates vary considerably between studies, with reported rates of new tinnitus following COVID-19 infection ranging from roughly 1% to over 23% depending on the specific study population and methodology used. This wide range reflects genuine variation between different research settings rather than a single settled figure, but it consistently points to tinnitus being a real, if inconsistently measured, feature of some people's COVID-19 experience.

Is COVID-19-related tinnitus different from other tinnitus?

Interestingly, research comparing tinnitus that emerged in the context of COVID-19 with tinnitus from other causes hasn't found it to differ meaningfully in its basic characteristics. This suggests COVID-19 may act as one of several possible triggers for a condition that can otherwise arise from many different causes, rather than producing some entirely unique form of tinnitus specific to the virus.

What does the research say about actual hearing loss?

Beyond tinnitus, some studies have found a meaningfully increased risk of new hearing loss diagnoses following COVID-19 infection. One large population-based study found a substantially elevated hazard ratio for new hearing loss diagnoses among people who'd had COVID-19 compared with those who hadn't, a notable finding given how large the study population was. That said, sudden sensorineural hearing loss specifically remains a relatively uncommon event overall, even accounting for this increased relative risk.

Is this listed as an official long COVID symptom?

The CDC's clinical guidance on long COVID symptoms for healthcare providers covers a wide range of documented presentations and while tinnitus and hearing changes aren't always the most heavily emphasised symptoms in general public messaging, they're recognised within the broader clinical literature that informs how doctors are advised to assess and manage long COVID patients.

Are COVID-19 vaccines linked to hearing problems?

This is a separate question worth addressing directly, since it's a common concern. A matched cohort study comparing tens of thousands of people who received either a COVID-19 vaccine or a pre-pandemic flu vaccine found no meaningful difference between the two groups in rates of hearing loss, sudden hearing loss, tinnitus or ear pain. This is reassuring evidence that any hearing-related symptoms some people experience around the time of vaccination aren't occurring at a higher rate than would be expected from vaccination in general.

Why might COVID-19 affect hearing at all?

The exact mechanism isn't fully settled, but researchers have proposed several plausible pathways, including direct viral effects on structures within the inner ear, inflammation affecting the auditory nerve or surrounding tissue and the broader vascular and clotting changes sometimes seen with COVID-19 potentially affecting blood flow to sensitive structures in the ear. It's likely that more than one mechanism is involved, rather than a single, simple explanation covering every case.

What should you do if you notice hearing changes?

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss, in particular, is considered a medical emergency in general ENT practice, regardless of a possible COVID-19 connection, because early treatment meaningfully improves the chances of recovery. If you notice a sudden change in your hearing, whether or not you've recently had COVID-19, seeking urgent medical assessment rather than waiting to see if it improves on its own is the appropriate response. Tinnitus alone, without sudden hearing loss, is less urgent but still worth discussing with a doctor if it's persistent or bothersome.

Does tinnitus from COVID-19 usually go away?

For many people, tinnitus linked to a COVID-19 infection improves over time, similar to the general pattern seen with tinnitus from other viral triggers, though for some people it persists longer as part of a broader long COVID picture. There's no single, universal timeline and if tinnitus is significantly affecting your quality of life, sound therapy, cognitive behavioural approaches and specialist audiology input are all established options worth discussing with a doctor.

Living with tinnitus while it resolves

Many people find that tinnitus feels considerably worse in quiet environments, particularly at night when there's nothing else to focus attention on, which is why some people find low-level background noise, whether from a fan, white noise app or soft music, genuinely helpful while symptoms persist. Stress and poor sleep have also been reported to make tinnitus feel more intrusive for some people, creating a frustrating cycle where the tinnitus itself contributes to poor sleep, which then makes the tinnitus feel worse the following day. Breaking this cycle through good sleep hygiene and stress management, alongside whatever specific treatment a specialist recommends, is often a genuinely useful part of managing the condition day to day rather than an afterthought.

Support groups, whether in person or online, connecting people living with tinnitus can also be genuinely valuable, both for practical coping tips that have worked for others and simply for the reassurance of knowing you're not the only one dealing with a symptom that can otherwise feel isolating and hard to explain to people who haven't experienced it themselves. Audiology services, where available, can also provide tailored advice on managing day-to-day tinnitus alongside any specific treatment plan, rather than leaving you to work out coping strategies entirely on your own through prolonged trial and error over many months of ongoing frustration. Asking your GP for a referral to audiology if tinnitus is significantly affecting your sleep, concentration or general wellbeing is a reasonable step even if it feels like a relatively minor symptom compared with more obviously serious COVID-19 complications.

A quick recap

COVID-19 has been linked to tinnitus and, less commonly, actual hearing loss, though estimates of how often this happens vary considerably between studies. COVID-19 vaccines haven't been shown to increase hearing-related problems compared with other vaccines and sudden hearing loss specifically should always be treated as urgent, regardless of a possible COVID-19 connection.

Frequently asked questions

Is tinnitus after COVID-19 permanent?

Not necessarily; many people see improvement over time, though for some it persists longer as part of a broader long COVID pattern and specialist support is available if it becomes persistent.

Should I see a doctor immediately if I lose hearing after COVID-19?

Yes, sudden hearing loss is considered a medical emergency regardless of cause, since prompt treatment improves the chances of recovery.

Can COVID-19 vaccination cause tinnitus?

Large comparative studies haven't found a higher rate of tinnitus or hearing problems in people vaccinated against COVID-19 compared with those who received other vaccines.

Does everyone with COVID-19 experience some hearing change?

No, hearing-related symptoms affect a minority of people with COVID-19 and most people experience no auditory symptoms at all.

What treatments help with COVID-19-related tinnitus?

Approaches used for tinnitus generally, including sound therapy and cognitive behavioural techniques, are typically used and a specialist audiology assessment can help identify the most appropriate options for your specific situation.