Cukurova Medical Journal (Dec 2021)
An age-related investigation of audio-vestibular symptoms in individuals with Covid-19 positive
Abstract
Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the rate of audio-vestibular complaints by COVID-19 patients during the disease period and to evaluate the symptoms they encountered during the disease process in accordance with age and gender. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted with a total of 1437 patients (738 M, 699 F) with a positive PCR test, aged 18–80 years, between 15 June 2020 and 10 February 2021. The patients were divided into five groups according to age. 1437 patients were questioned about their complaints on the second day of the disease, but only 656 of 1437 patients were questioned on the fourteenth day of the disease. Finally, 1437 patients were called again for the third time in the third month of the disease, but only 340 of these patients could be reached. Results: Of the 1437 patients, 524 (36.5%) had more frequent audio-vestibular complaints than common complaints. During the 14-day disease period, dizziness or vertigo (3.4% to 19.4%), tinnitus (1.02% to 19.4%), pressure in the ears (1.1% to 5.6%), difficulty understanding speech in noise (0.13% to 26%), decreased sound tolerance (0.13% to 6.4%), speech difficulties (0.13% to 5%), and earache (1.4% to 7.8%) reportedly increased compared with the first day of the disease. Fifty-two (15.3%) of 340 patients reported that they lost their sense of taste, 90 (26.4%) lost their sense of smell, and 14 (4.11%) reported intermittent vertigo in the third month of COVID-19 infection. Conclusion: Symptoms such as dizziness, tinnitus, hoarseness, swallowing difficulty, fever, and decreased sound tolerance can often be seen in the later days of COVID-19 disease.
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