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HEALTH NEWS

Fact Checked


IS THE COVID-19 VACCINE LINKED TO TINNITUS? WHAT WE KNOW

By Julia Ries on April 30, 2023 — Fact checked by Dana K. Cassell
Share on PinterestLuis Alvarez/Getty Images
 * Experts are investigating if the COVID-19 vaccine is linked to tinnitus
 * The condition is a known symptom of a COVID-19 infection.
 * Some vaccines have been known to trigger tinnitus.

Anecdotal reports are surfacing that some people are developing tinnitus days
after receiving one of the COVID-19 vaccines.

The riskTrusted Source of developing tinnitus — a ringing in one or both ears —
after COVID-19 vaccination appears to be low, and while some studies have
identified a link between the two, more data is needed to determine if tinnitus
is a possible side effect of the vaccine.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is currently looking
into reports of vaccine-associated tinnitus, told USA Today that there currently
doesn’t appear to be a link between tinnitus and COVID vaccination.

Other shotsTrusted Source, like the flu shot, are thought to trigger tinnitus,
potentially due to the inflammatory response invoked by vaccinations, but it’s
too soon to say if the COVID-19 shots can, too.

“It’s unclear whether it’s the vaccine itself, which can cause an inflammatory
reaction in the body, or if it just happens because a lot of people get vaccines
and tinnitus and you’re bound to have people who overlap,” says Dr. Hamid R.
Djalilian, the director of otology, neurotology, and skull base surgery at
University of California, Irvine.


IT’S UNCLEAR IF TINNITUS IS CAUSED BY THE VACCINE OR SOMETHING ELSE

Research exploring the link between tinnitus and the COVID-19 vaccines is
limited, but a handful of reports have found that a small percentage of people
who get vaccinated develop tinnitus soon after getting vaccinated against COVID.

A reportTrusted Source published in March of 2022, for example, identified
12,247 reported cases of tinnitus after COVID-19 vaccination up through
September 2021.

Another 2022 study ranked tinnitus as one of the top otolaryngology side effects
reported after COVID vaccination.

A more recent studyTrusted Source, published in March of 2023, found
vaccine-related cases of tinnitus to be rare, but in certain cases, severe.

Finally, a report from April 2023 found that 14.5% of participants had some type
of otologic symptoms within four weeks of being vaccinated, with tinnitus being
the second most commonly-reported otologic symptom.

According to Djalilian, about 10 to 15% of the population has tinnitus and
estimates suggest 1% of the population can temporarily develop tinnitus in any
given year.

If you vaccinate a large percentage of the population, as we have for COVID,
some of those people will develop tinnitus — for example, if you vaccinate 70%
of the population, 7% will have tinnitus and 0.7% will get tinnitus that year,
says Djalilian.

“This could be because they were going to get tinnitus anyways and not
necessarily from the vaccine,” Djalilian said.


WHY MIGHT THE SHOTS TRIGGER TINNITUS?

Though it’s unclear if tinnitus may be a vaccine side effect, it’s not out of
the question.

Other shots, like the flu vaccineTrusted Source, have a known side effect of
tinnitus, says Djalilian.

“If the timing works, meaning tinnitus occurs very shortly after being
vaccinated among other factors, anything that creates a significant inflammatory
reaction in the body can make the brain more sensitive and causes the brain to
pay more attention to the ringing sound,” Djalilian says.

The ringing sensation is caused by the loss of cells in the inner ear, and the
condition can become exacerbated in people with migraine.

“Migraine can make the brain more sensitive (called central sensitivity
disorder), which makes the tinnitus more prominent and louder for the patient,”
says Djalilian.

That said, it’s unclear if there’s a causal relationship between the COVID
vaccines and tinnitus.


The CDC is currently looking into reports of vaccine-associated tinnitus, says
Dr. Scott Roberts, a Yale Medicine infectious diseases specialist.

“They have not reported any association, although they maintain a robust
database so if there is a signal we should know about it soon,” Roberts said.


TINNITUS AND COVID ARE LINKED, TOO

Tinnitus and hearing loss can be an associated symptomTrusted Source of
COVIDTrusted Source, too.

“While they are much less common than the loss of smell or taste, studies have
shown that hearing abnormalities and tinnitus impact people much more
substantially than the loss of smell or taste,” Dr. Konstantina Stankovic, a
board-certified, fellowship-trained otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeon with
a Stanford Health Care, says.

During viral infections, the body produces a massive inflammatory response to
fight the pathogen, and that inflammation can reach the lining behind the ear
drum, according to Djalilian.

“If you have a cold and you have inflammation in the lining behind the ear drums
or have fluid, which reduces your ability to hear temporarily, the ear drum will
not vibrate as well and thus will cause tinnitus,” Djalilian says.

Ruth Reisman, AuD, a certified audiologist based in New York, suspects that the
pathophysiology may be similar with the vaccines.

In addition, just as some people developed fatigue or aches after being
vaccinated, others may develop tinnitus, Reisman believes.

“Everyone’s systemic function and immunity is different resulting in different
sequelae including a risk for tinnitus and hearing loss,” she said.

More research is needed to understand if and how COVID — and the vaccines used
to prevent the infection — cause tinnitus before a causal relationship can be
determined.

“Before concluding any correlation between the two, we need research that has
been peer-reviewed and conducted correctly,” Djalilian says.


THE BOTTOM LINE:

Anecdotal reports are surfacing that some people are developing tinnitus days
after receiving one of the COVID vaccines. More research is needed to understand
if and how COVID — and the vaccines used to prevent the infection — cause
tinnitus before a causal relationship can be determined.




HOW WE REVIEWED THIS ARTICLE:

History

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our
articles when new information becomes available.

Current Version

Apr 30, 2023

Written By

Julia Ries

Edited By

Gillian Mohney

Fact Checked By

Dana K. Cassell

Share this article


By Julia Ries on April 30, 2023 — Fact checked by Dana K. Cassell


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