Otologic and vestibular symptoms in COVID-19: A scoping review

Otologic and vestibular symptoms have been seen in patients confirmed to have COVID-19 disease. Further discussion of these symptoms may provide insight into short- and long-term management for these patients.

The aim of this review was to describe the otologic and vestibular symptoms that present in patients with COVID-19. The primary outcomes of this review were onset, duration and clinical outcomes of these symptoms.

Pub Med, APAMed Central, Herdin, CINAHL, Scopus, Springer Link, ProQuest Coronavirus Research Database, and Google Scholar were searched for the articles to be included.

Studies included were those involving adult patients diagnosed with COVID-19 who experienced hearing loss, ear pain, ear discharge, otitis media, vertigo, or tinnitus. Studies were eligible for inclusion if there was a description of the otologic dysfunction, specifically onset, duration, or clinical outcomes.

The majority of patients who experienced hearing loss (68%), tinnitus (88%), vertigo/dizziness (30%), ear pain (8%), and discharge (100%) did so within a month of experiencing the typical symptoms of COVID-19. A majority also experienced complete resolution of their symptoms within 2 weeks. Standard treatment for COVID-19 was usually provided but when specific diagnoses are made for these symptoms (e.g., sudden sensorineural hearing loss, otitis media, vestibular neuritis), they are treated in the same manner as one would for non-COVID-19 cases, in addition to the management for COVID-19. In certain cases, there may be a need for additional work-up to rule out other causes.

Otologic and vestibular symptoms were present in COVID-19 patients, majority as part of the systemic nature of the disease. The onset, duration, and course were consistent with the natural history of a systemic viral infection. COVID-19 should be considered in any patient with a new-onset hearing loss, tinnitus, or vertigo/dizziness, even in the absence of infectious or respiratory symptoms.