Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2 / COVID-19) and Tinnitus

[HeavyMantra]

There's a very, very small chance that your hearing will be affected. Don't stress about it, it will only make things worse.

Follow your doctor's advice. Rest and eat healthy so you can heal asap. I hope you'll recover soon!

Thanks guys. If this is COVID-19, I think I might be one of those people who only gets very mild symptoms for one day... Except for this new tone if it's related. The person I live with has more classical symptoms but nothing that sets it apart from normal viruses or colds but our symptoms started out the same (headache and tiredness a few days before sore throat, heavy feeling in the lungs).

 

[Ed209]

Saw this and it made me smile.

 

[Lane]

Clicking on the link below will take you to a 26-page pdf file. Below the link is a blurb on how they view the current vaccine situation. Below that is a link which gives more information on the organization that created the guide.



Vaccines in Development: Several vaccine models are being investigated for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) including DNA and RNA vaccines. These vaccines take genetic information from other sources that is introduced into the cells. This information includes instructions to produce a SARS2-like viral antigen itself, and the immune system then reacts to it to develop immunity to the virus.

The most important consideration before approving a vaccine for human use is to make sure that the vaccine is safe and effective. Developing safe and controlled infection models for humans normally takes many years of phased testing in the lab and then in humans. Many physicians and scientists have been concerned that vaccine manufacturers, with government support, are speeding up this process in ways that are not allowing adequate time for the usual phased testing leading up to human clinical trials.

Two vaccine manufacturers already have voluntarily paused their clinical trials in people due to serious adverse events. Currently, there are no RNA-based vaccines approved for human use so it would seem prudent to take the time needed to ensure safety. Vaccines for RNA viruses are notoriously challenging and difficult to develop. We still, after all these years since AIDS emerged in the 1980s, do not have a vaccine for the AIDS virus, or the SARS-1 coronavirus that emerged in 2002-2003, and both are RNA viruses.

Several attempts have been made to create vaccines for coronavirus and other respiratory viruses but none of the vaccines have survived the testing phases. The vaccine trials for SARS-1 from 2003, for example, was shut down because it produced autoimmune hypersensitivity reactions when exposed to the natural virus after immunization in animal studies. Another problem is that the SARS-2 virus has already shown many mutations. Viruses adapt to the environment to survive.

Like the flu virus, it is difficult to predict what mutations will occur and circulate around the world each season. A new vaccine must be reformulated to adjust to the changing genetic makeup of the SARS-2 virus. Even the best vaccines for flu are only about 30-60% effective. Compare that with an effectiveness for improvement ranging from 64% to more than 90% in more than 100 new studies showing early, outpatient treatment with our existing medications described in chapters.

As research on the vaccine continues, safety and effectiveness are of primary concern. The good news is there are very safe and effective early treatments already available as we described in Chapter 3. Clearly, early, home-based treatment has now been so successful and offers so much hope, there is less urgency to have a vaccine.
................................................................................

Here's a link to the organization that created the above COVID-19 guide...

The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons – AAPS – is a non-partisan professional association of physicians in all types of practices and specialties across the country.

 

[linearb]

Here's a link to the organization that created the above COVID-19 guide...

The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons – AAPS – is a non-partisan professional association of physicians in all types of practices and specialties across the country.

The Opposite of Socialized Medicine

The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons might sound like another boring doctors' group politely debating telehealth legislation. But AAPS is a small yet vociferous interest group. Like Zelig with a stethoscope, it has popped up in nearly every major health-care debate for decades, including the Affordable Care Act and opioids, and it wields a surprising amount of influence. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky was outed as a member in 2010. (A Paul spokesperson told me that while the senator is no longer a member, he is supportive of AAPS's fight against Obamacare.) When Representative Tom Price of Georgia was nominated to lead President Donald Trump's Department of Health and Human Services, several newspapers pointed out that he, too, was a member. (At the time, an HHS spokesperson said that not all doctors in a group believe the same thing.)


Though AAPS often takes positions that are associated with conservative groups, it sometimes goes even further, pushing fringe views that most mainstream conservatives do not endorse, such as the belief that mandatory vaccination is "equivalent to human experimentation" and that Medicare is "evil." Over the years, the group seems to have coalesced around an ethos of radical self-determination and a belief that mainstream science isn't always trustworthy. It's the most curious of medical organizations: a doctors' interest group that seems more invested in the interests of doctors, rather than public health.

The AAPS is not a reputable source of scientific information. It's just another partisan thinktank that finds people with some kind of credentials who are willing to espouse pro-industry, pro-military-industrial complex nonsense.

Also:

AAPS was founded in 1943 in opposition to an early effort to provide universal health care to Americans.

Just lol. Group literally exists from its beginning to prevent poor people from having access to care.

 

[Ed209]

This also made me laugh.

 

[Ed209]

For a split second @Markku, I thought you had launched a COVID-19 app.

 

[weab00]

99% 64 pages of conspiratorial political debates, 1% tinnitus.

 

[Ed209]

99% 64 pages of conspiratorial political debates, 1% tinnitus.

I think this thread naturally became all things coronavirus as there's only so much one can talk about when it comes to tinnitus. Maybe someone should have started a separate thread for those discussions to take place, I don't know. My personal opinion is that it's better to keep all coronavirus-related discussions in one place, but that's just me.

 

[HeavyMantra]

It's been about a week now. My symptoms have been headaches, tiredness, sometimes a slight slight feeling of illness in my sinuses and lungs but much milder than a normal cold. The missus is testing herself today but she has more or less recovered so I'm not sure if it will tell us if we had it.

 

[HeavyMantra]

She has no symptoms now, but just lost her sense of smell. I think that confirms it. I'm relieved if my bout of coronavirus was this mild. But then again, there's that new tone that is very unlikely to be a coincidence. But that also means it could go away I suppose.

Stay safe everyone.

 

[linearb]

She has no symptoms now, but just lost her sense of smell. I think that confirms it..

Well... maybe. My wife and I had a suspicious virus at the end of last February that featured this, along with shortness of breath. Influenza can cause a loss of smell and/or taste. At the time it seemed almost impossible to be coronavirus. Now we know that there were some cases in New England as early as January 2020, which makes it more possible, but still very much a case of "who knows".

My suspicion is that people who've had COVID-19 will not exhibit the very strong "flu like symptoms" response to the vaccine; if that turns out to be true, my reaction to the vaccine might be a little informative as to what we had 7 months ago.

In other news of the obvious:

Thanks, CNN, for letting us know it's "behavior" and not that the properties of the virus have magically changed such that it can now infect you when you're alone at home or shopping in eyegear and an N95.

Rudy as a superspreader is one of the more 2020 things to happen lately, but as much as I dislike the guy I don't wish him ill here, COVID-19 sounds like a pretty wretched way to die or be seriously ill.

 

[linearb]

@Ed209 US microchip rollout is happening after the UK's, only because our microchips also have to be able to create a national registry of gun owners, determine whether someone is an unregistered resident of the country, and detect that we're spending the correct amount of our "disposable" income on government or Facebook approved goods and services

 

[HeavyMantra]

Well... maybe. My wife and I had a suspicious virus at the end of last February that featured this, along with shortness of breath. Influenza can cause a loss of smell and/or taste. At the time it seemed almost impossible to be coronavirus. Now we know that there were some cases in New England as early as January 2020, which makes it more possible, but still very much a case of "who knows".

My suspicion is that people who've had COVID-19 will not exhibit the very strong "flu like symptoms" response to the vaccine; if that turns out to be true, my reaction to the vaccine might be a little informative as to what we had 7 months ago.

But can you be largely asymptomatic from influenza? Either way, her test is on its way to a lab and I'm very curious what it'll say.

 

[Ed209]

But can you be largely asymptomatic from influenza? Either way, her test is on its way to a lab and I'm very curious what it'll say.

My symptoms started in my throat. I felt an itchy sensation that led to a cough. Then suddenly, I had a flu-like malaise that gave me a temperature in the night along with muscle pains.

My mom had the exact same symptoms as I did.

My wife had difficulty breathing and had to keep having steamy baths. She mainly felt her symptoms in her sinuses, though.

 

[HeavyMantra]

My symptoms started in my throat. I felt an itchy sensation that led to a cough. Then suddenly, I had a flu-like malaise that gave me a temperature in the night along with muscle pains.

My mom had the exact same symptoms as I did.

My wife had difficulty breathing and had to keep having steamy baths. She mainly felt her symptoms in her sinuses, though.

Hers started with tiredness and headaches a few days before a sore throat and increased tiredness that lasted for 7 days, some heaviness in the lungs. Minimal coughing. Went about her days mostly as usual.

What makes me suspect we have it is that our symptoms have been stretched out for more than a week and became worse only after 4-5 days, her loss of smell now after 8 days with no other symptoms, and the fact that I've been asking myself for a week, "am I even ill?". I'm always violently ill for 1-2 days when I do catch something and then I'm back to normal. I've never had something this drawn out. Some days I definitely have felt ill, but I've also worked out twice this week which tells you something about my energy levels.

 

[FGG]

Hers started with tiredness and headaches a few days before a sore throat and increased tiredness that lasted for 7 days, some heaviness in the lungs. Minimal coughing. Went about her days mostly as usual.

What makes me suspect we have it is that our symptoms have been stretched out for more than a week and became worse only after 4-5 days, her loss of smell now after 8 days with no other symptoms, and the fact that I've been asking myself for a week, "am I even ill?". I'm always violently ill for 1-2 days when I do catch something and then I'm back to normal. I've never had something this drawn out. Some days I definitely have felt ill, but I've also worked out twice this week which tells you something about my energy levels.

FWIW, I had something like this (including the loss of smell) with additional GI signs with it but ended up testing negative.

 

[Ed209]

Hers started with tiredness and headaches a few days before a sore throat and increased tiredness that lasted for 7 days, some heaviness in the lungs. Minimal coughing. Went about her days mostly as usual.

What makes me suspect we have it is that our symptoms have been stretched out for more than a week and became worse only after 4-5 days, her loss of smell now after 8 days with no other symptoms, and the fact that I've been asking myself for a week, "am I even ill?". I'm always violently ill for 1-2 days when I do catch something and then I'm back to normal. I've never had something this drawn out. Some days I definitely have felt ill, but I've also worked out twice this week which tells you something about my energy levels.

It's impossible to know without a test as it could be any number of viruses.

 

[HeavyMantra]

It's impossible to know without a test as it could be any number of viruses.

Results should be in tomorrow or the day after, I'm so curious! But since her symptoms are so mild now it might not show as positive according to the supplier. If so, we would have to wait two weeks to test for antibodies.

 

[linearb]

But can you be largely asymptomatic from influenza? Either way, her test is on its way to a lab and I'm very curious what it'll say.

This wasn't something I knew about; I just googled it, and, it looks like asymptomatic cases of flu do happen and aren't super uncommon, but it's not as common as COVID-19. (This paper says 4-28% of cases).

Also worth noting that having had a flu shot, in many cases, does not actually prevent infection, but makes it much more "minor". I suspect this may have happened to me last year, because during flu season when a lot of people were down with flu I had a very minor 24 hour fever. (Of course, it could have been any number of viruses).

 

[HeavyMantra]

We got the results and we tested positive for COVID-19. For me, the most interesting thing about this is that I developed a new tone the same day I started feeling the first symptoms. I hope it's temporary since it comes and goes. None of my other 5 tones have gone away though.

 

[HeavyMantra]

So it seems I've recovered now, not that I had a lot of symptoms to begin with. The fact that I worked out twice during this time before even realizing I was infected tells you something about how mild it was. Took about 10 days all in all.

Started with headaches and mental tiredness. Sleep has been very poor, probably due to the new tone. Some days I had some very slight heaviness and pain in my lungs. Yesterday was the only day I had a fever and actually felt sick, and I had a very elevated heart rate. Today I feel normal again.

Except for the new tinnitus tone... Note that I've had zero symptoms in my sinuses and throat. The tone started December 1st which is right around the time I got infected but had no symptoms.

Many people have mild symptoms or none at all, so this might not mean anything but these are the steps I took:

1. 4 grams or more vitamin C daily
2. More vitamin D than I would normally take
3. More vitamin B12 than I would normally take

Things that I don't think contributed:
3. Lots of reishi
4. Lots, lots of turmeric and curcumin extract

 

[Jack Straw]

I thought I would post this here to help add to the already mounting evidence that the COVID-19 virus is very destructive to the entire body. I also wanted to post this to squash people who say this is a hoax / not that bad. Here is the TL;DR regarding my past and current COVID-19 experience. I am going to leave out a lot of details to try and keep it as short as possible.

I was exposed to COVID-19 in early March before it was really a national crisis. Shortly after the exposure I had two nights of mild fevers. At the time I didn't suspect I had COVID-19 because it was so early on and I didn't have the typical symptoms. I thought I was maybe just not feeling well for whatever reasons. I felt fine during this time, but was sweating a lot at night. No other symptoms.

About a week after the mild fever I developed what is now known as COVID-19 toes and fingers. It is apparently very similar to Chilblains / Pernio. I had very painful sores on my hands that made them feel like they were covered in splinters. It was very uncomfortable to use my hands for various everyday tasks.

I got tested for COVID-19 antibodies twice because my Dermatologist knew of the link between new onset Pernio and COVID-19. Both the tests were spaced weeks apart and came back negative. We now know it is because mild cases of COVID-19 will most likely not develop antibodies for whatever reason. The only way to have a positive test for mild cases of COVID-19 would be from a swab test while you are infectious.

I know some of you are thinking, "How do you know it was COVID-19 then?" I had a biopsy on my hands and it showed the exact same damage that other people with COVID-19 toes and fingers had. On top of that my girlfriend also developed Pernio within a week of me getting it. It is VERY unlikely that two younger people would randomly develop Pernio for the first time in their life within a week of each other with no prior history.

The initial infection cleared up after two long painful months, but unfortunately for me it is now back and worse than before. Now my hands and feet have lesions, swelling, redness and tingling feelings. This is very uncomfortable and painful to deal with again, but my doctor and I are working to find the best treatments. He also mentioned that this will most likely happen twice a year like regular Pernio. He thinks that the virus damaged the small blood vessels in my hands giving me Pernio, but is unsure if it is temporary or for life. Time will tell.

Lots of people seem to be having rebound COVID-19 issues months later after their initial infection cleared. This means that you can get COVID-19 and be fine, but the virus will have caused unknown damage inside your body that will come out at some point in the near future. This damage can happen anywhere in the body where the virus can attach onto receptors, which seems to be everywhere in the body.

Trust me, you don't want to become a "long hauler" and have your symptoms last long after the virus is gone because of the permanent damage that it did to your body. Anyone who thinks this is just like the regular flu is an idiot. I consider myself lucky because I know people who have it FAR worse than me. Wear a mask, be safe, and don't be stupid!

 

[HeavyMantra]

It seems like 2020 will be a year I'll have to remember whether I like it or not since everything points towards that COVID-19 gave me two new tinnitus tones. I had NO issues or gunk in my sinuses, nose or middle ear from the virus. I have no idea what happened. Sick and tired of this infernally unforgiving condition.

I've seen people draw very far out conclusions about what caused their tinnitus or what made it worse, and I try to not do the same. But I've been thinking about this a lot and the new tones are either an effect of some unknown condition that's causing me increased hearing loss that somehow coincided with the time I got infected but had no symptoms yet, or it's because of COVID-19.

There's still a chance the tones will go away I suppose. Today marks 2 weeks since the person I live with got her initial symptoms, which is right around the time that the first of these new tones appeared.

I feared this all along of course. Knowing what I know now, I would have avoided other people at all costs even though that would have meant that I would have no income.

 

[Jack Straw]

It seems like 2020 will be a year I'll have to remember whether I like it or not since everything points towards that COVID-19 gave me two new tinnitus tones. I had NO issues or gunk in my sinuses, nose or middle ear from the virus. I have no idea what happened. Sick and tired of this infernally unforgiving condition.

I've seen people draw very far out conclusions about what caused their tinnitus or what made it worse, and I try to not do the same. But I've been thinking about this a lot and the new tones are either an effect of some unknown condition that's causing me increased hearing loss that somehow coincided with the time I got infected but had no symptoms yet, or it's because of COVID-19.

There's still a chance the tones will go away I suppose. Today marks 2 weeks since the person I live with got her initial symptoms, which is right around the time that the first of these new tones appeared.

I feared this all along of course. Knowing what I know now, I would have avoided other people at all costs even though that would have meant that I would have no income.

I know it is bad to tell everyone to take steroids when it comes to tinnitus, but someone I know got tinnitus after getting COVID-19. They went to their ENT and were given steroid injections into their middle ear. Since then it has gotten better, but I don't know if it was from the steroids or because of time. They still have tinnitus now, but not as bad.

Maybe talk with your doctor about oral steroids as I think middle ear injections is super dangerous.

 

[weab00]

It seems like 2020 will be a year I'll have to remember whether I like it or not since everything points towards that COVID-19 gave me two new tinnitus tones. I had NO issues or gunk in my sinuses, nose or middle ear from the virus. I have no idea what happened. Sick and tired of this infernally unforgiving condition.

I've seen people draw very far out conclusions about what caused their tinnitus or what made it worse, and I try to not do the same. But I've been thinking about this a lot and the new tones are either an effect of some unknown condition that's causing me increased hearing loss that somehow coincided with the time I got infected but had no symptoms yet, or it's because of COVID-19.

There's still a chance the tones will go away I suppose. Today marks 2 weeks since the person I live with got her initial symptoms, which is right around the time that the first of these new tones appeared.

I feared this all along of course. Knowing what I know now, I would have avoided other people at all costs even though that would have meant that I would have no income.

Sorry to hear about your new tinnitus tones, hopefully they fade with time. Do you have any theories on the mechanism to why COVID-19 would cause hearing issues?

 

[HeavyMantra]

I know it is bad to tell everyone to take steroids when it comes to tinnitus, but someone I know got tinnitus after getting COVID-19. They went to their ENT and were given steroid injections into their middle ear. Since then it has gotten better, but I don't know if it was from the steroids or because of time. They still have tinnitus now, but not as bad.

Maybe talk with your doctor about oral steroids as I think middle ear injections is super dangerous.

Probably too late now, right? Also, I don't think steroids are ever prescribed for these things here in Sweden.

 

[HeavyMantra]

Sorry to hear about your new tinnitus tones, hopefully they fade with time. Do you have any theories on the mechanism to why COVID-19 would cause hearing issues?

I have no idea. Hair cell damage, 8th cranial nerve damage or interference? Seems like no data is in yet but viruses in general sometimes do this as far as I understand

 

[Lane]

my doctor and I are working to find the best treatments.

@Jack Straw -- Below is a short (FWIW) story.

Many years ago I read an account of a man who got bitten by a poisonous spider, and his hand immediately swelled up to about twice its normal size. He went to the ER, where they wanted to do emergency amputation! Instead of going that route, he remembered a friend of his who did odd experiments with ozone therapy.

So he called him and told him what was happening. His friend had him come over right away, where he had him submerge his hand in water that was continuously being ozonated by his machine. Almost immediately, the pain and swelling began to subside, and within hours was mostly back to normal.
​

I myself plan to invest in a medical grade ozone machine some day because of its many benefits. I don't know whether ozone would help your painful hands and feet, but I can't imagine it would hurt. You can get a relatively inexpensive ozone bubbler for less than a $100 (link). If you're interested, you may want to check out the following thread:

Ozone Therapy Improves Hepatitis C Fatigue, and Reduces Viral Load. Could it Work for ME/CFS Too?

 

[Jack Straw]

@Jack Straw -- Below is a short (FWIW) story.

Many years ago I read an account of a man who got bitten by a poisonous spider, and his hand immediately swelled up to about twice its normal size. He went to the ER, where they wanted to do emergency amputation! Instead of going that route, he remembered a friend of his who did odd experiments with ozone therapy.

So he called him and told him what was happening. His friend had him come over right away, where he had him submerge his hand in water that was continuously being ozonated by his machine. Almost immediately, the pain and swelling began to subside, and within hours was mostly back to normal.
​

I myself plan to invest in a medical grade ozone machine some day because of its many benefits. I don't know whether ozone would help your painful hands and feet, but I can't imagine it would hurt. You can get a relatively inexpensive ozone bubbler for less than a $100 (link). If you're interested, you may want to check out the following thread:

Ozone Therapy Improves Hepatitis C Fatigue, and Reduces Viral Load. Could it Work for ME/CFS Too?

Interesting, I will look into it. Thanks!

 

[FGG]

I have no idea. Hair cell damage, 8th cranial nerve damage or interference? Seems like no data is in yet but viruses in general sometimes do this as far as I understand

Setting aside that some doctors think hydrops can be caused after a viral injury (particularly Dr. Gacek, who is writing a book about his experience with viruses and Meniere's currently)...

Viruses are a leading cause of sudden idiopathic hearing loss, and a particular virus, CMV is a major cause of in utero hearing loss. These are generally hair cell loss issues and quick steroids can often salvage these ears (which makes me think it tends not to be at all a cranial nerve related problem otherwise IT Steroids shouldn't help and they often do in those particular cases) -- the before and after audiograms are startling--because steroid use suggests it is the immune reaction to the viruses, not the virus itself that causes the problem.