OBJECTIVES: COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Previous studies reported cases of tinnitus following COVID infection, most of them mild and with similar characteristics to other forms of tinnitus. Our aim is to further explore the relationship between COVID-19 and tinnitus. For this purpose, we analyzed people in our city after a COVID-19 infection.
Until full results are published, no specific change to tinnitus management protocols is warranted; audiologists should continue documenting COVID-19 history when assessing new tinnitus cases.
Understanding the long-term course of COVID-19-related tinnitus helps audiologists counsel patients on prognosis and plan appropriate follow-up care.
- 01Longitudinal design tracks COVID-19-related tinnitus across multiple time points during the pandemic.
- 02Published in Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology (2026), a peer-reviewed source.
- 03Trajectory data may inform whether COVID-19 tinnitus tends to resolve, persist, or worsen over time.
- 04Findings could support evidence-based prognosis discussions with patients who developed post-COVID tinnitus.
- 05COVID-19 remains an emerging area of tinnitus research with limited long-term longitudinal data.
COVID-19 infection is associated with the development of tinnitus.
studypartially supportedThe trajectory of COVID-19-related tinnitus can be tracked across the pandemic timeline.
studysupported- PMID
- 42302460
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.bjorl.2026.101857.
- Journal
- Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology
- Publication type
- research_article
- Evidence level
- 2b
- Population
- Individuals who developed tinnitus in association with COVID-19 infection
- Intervention
- Longitudinal observation of COVID-19-related tinnitus
Primary outcomes
Trajectory/change in tinnitus severity over the pandemic timeline