Tinnitus and Sensory Dysfunctions: A Cohort Study from Health Checkups Before and during COVID-19 Endemic.

Publication date: Jul 21, 2025

Tinnitus and smell dysfunction have been reported to be associated. The long-term course of tinnitus and sensory dysfunctions, including smell and taste dysfunctions, after COVID-19 infection needs to be studied further. A cohort study of tinnitus and sensory dysfunctions before and during the COVID-19 pandemic was conducted through health checkups in a rural area in Japan. Five hundred ten participants attended health checkups in August 2019, 434 in 2023, and 437 in 2024. Two hundred twenty-five participants attended the 2019 and 2023 health checkups, and one hundred seventy-one participants attended all three. The subjects included people 40 years of age or older. The questionnaire included information on tinnitus, hearing, vertigo, headache, smell, taste, and lifestyle habits. In 2023, the questionnaire included questions about COVID-19. Tinnitus, hearing impairment, and smell dysfunction were associated. Fear and anxiety about COVID-19 infection were significantly associated with tinnitus after adjusting for age and sex. Irregular sleep time and fewer sports and exercise habits were significantly associated with tinnitus, but not smell or taste dysfunction. In an investigation of identical persons, deterioration of tinnitus was conspicuous in 2023 compared to 2019 in persons with strong fear and anxiety about COVID-19. Tinnitus is related to lifestyle habits compared to other sensory disorders. Fear and anxiety about COVID-19, rather than COVID-19 infection itself, significantly influenced tinnitus during the COVID-19 pandemic in rural areas.

Semantics

Original Article