Covid-19: aspectos sociodemográficos e clínico relacionado a percepção auditiva, zumbido e tontura em sujeitos sintomáticos

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the clinical and sociodemographic aspects of COVID-19 and relate them to auditive perception, tinnitus and dizziness in symptomatic COVID-positive subjects. Methods: Transversal quantitative study, undertaken between October 2021 and March 2022, with an adhesion of 120 participants, men and women, 18 or older who were COVID-positive and symptomatic. A specific digital questionnaire was applied, with questions regarding sociodemographic data, drug treatment, as well as symptoms and signs related to hearing and balance before and after COVI-19. Results: The sample was composed by 116 subjects, with female preponderance and an average age of 34.2 years. The presence of COVID-19 symptoms was shown even in the absence of comorbidities. Musculoskeletal and cognitive symptoms were the most reported before and after the disease, respectively. The majority of the sample took some kind of medication against COVID-19. Despite the small number of pre-COVID hypoacusis, a bilateral increase of the condition occurred. Furtherly, tinnitus and dizziness either remained the same or got worse after COVID-19, demonstrating a significant association between the presence and absence of these symptoms. Conclusion: The population was represented by white, college-educated, adult females. Symptoms and comorbidities were shown, with an emphasis in cognitive ones, which remained after the disease. Furtherly the use of ototoxic and vestibulotoxic drugs was observed. Bilateral hypoacusis, high-pitched whistle-type tinnitus and neurovegetative disequilibrium associated with neurovegetative symptoms lasting seconds were characteristic of post-COVID-19.