Is COVID-19 vaccine associated-tinnitus, a cause of concern? Study sheds light
Pakistan: A recent review published in Annals of Medicine and Surgery by closely examining the currently available literature, has highlighted the potential pathophysiology and clinical approaches for diagnosis and management of COVID-19 vaccine-induced tinnitus.
"Although the incidence of vaccine-associated tinnitus is rare, there is an overwhelming requirement to discern the precise pathophysiology and clinical management as a better understanding of adverse events might be helpful in encountering vaccine hesitancy and hence fostering the COVID-19 global vaccination program, "Syed Hassan Ahmed, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan, and colleagues wrote in their study. "The benefits of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in reducing hospitalization and deaths continually outweighs the rare ramifications despite the incidence of adverse events."
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the global vaccination drive against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 is being pursued at a historic pace. Some cases of unexpected adverse effects including thrombotic thrombocytopenia, myocarditis, amongst others have been reported as a consequence of vaccination.
12,247 cases of coronavirus post-vaccination tinnitus have been reported till September 14, 2021, according to the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS).
Following were the key points of the study:
- While several suggested hypotheses exist, the precise mechanism behind vaccine-induced tinnitus remains undetermined, leaving room for future studies.
- Two reported cases had a medical history of otologic conditions involving recovered tinnitus and SNHL. Therefore, the possibility of vaccines aggravating underlying otologic disorders and exacerbating any morphologic damage also needs to be explored.
- The character of tinnitus, including subjective or objective, intermittent or continuous, and pulsatile or non-pulsatile, can also give beneficial insight into understanding the involved sights and underlying mechanisms.
- Corticosteroids were the first-line treatment options for SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-associated tinnitus.
The authors further add, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first review evaluating any otologic manifestation following vaccine administration and aims to evaluate the potential pathophysiology, clinical approach, and treatment."
Based on the study, they conclude that although the incidence is infrequent, there is a need to understand the precise mechanisms and treatment for vaccine-associated tinnitus.
Reference:
The study titled, "SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-associated-tinnitus: A review," was published in the journal Annals of Medicine and Surgery.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amsu.2022.103293
KEYWORDS: Annals of Medicine and Surgery, tinnitus, covid 19 vaccine, vaccination side effects, SARS COV 2, ear ringing, vaccine hesitancy, Syed Hassan Ahmed, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2
