Ears are main post Covid complaint

Hello dloos,
I'm from Greece (so forgive any language mistakes 🙂 ) I've recently read your post while I was searching for some answers about my self and I'd like to share a couple of similar stories.
Long before Covid a guy that I knew, after a short roadtrip he lost his hearing to one ear without any apparent reason. Doctors couldn't find anything wrong and said it was due to anxiety (..not!). After almost a year he obtained like 70% of his hearing back without any treatment. Second case, my husband after a flight his ears clogged for many months and couldn't do anything about it. Doctors have said that there was nothing wrong. I think half a year later his ears just unclogged by themselves, but since then, every time he gets really upset they get clogged again for a few minutes and that really frustrates him!
And now my story. Right after covid recovery last Chrismas, I woke up with blurry vision, tinnitus and headache behind my eyes. Those headaches continued almost daily for two weeks and after that I had a heavy head feeling and light dizziness for another month or so. To make things worse I've developed sensitivity to light and hyperacusis (to a moderate degree). It's four months now and to make a long story short, I'm all this time back and forth between ofthalmologists, acoologists, ent and neurologists without any luck. I did all sort of tests (even lumbar puncture and mri ) but everything came out clean. The only things that I know for sure, is that Covid flared up an old eye problem that I had and thought I've had recovered from (spots on the cornea due to an old conjuctivitis) and revealed the latent hyperopia that I didn't know that I had. Those explain, kind of, my vision problems and because of that I ended up in three months to depend totally on the glasses that I once only used for tv... Still, no explanation for tinnitus and hyperacusis. An acoologist said that maybe it is some sort of vestibular migrains due to the virus and that will fade over time. Will see..
What I would suggest for you is to focus on your vision problem and try to short this out since the other seems a dead end. Visit a good neuro ophtalmologist and ask (demand) to find you some lenses that clear up your vision. Then make a pair of glasses and wore them all day until you get used to them. If that contributes to improve things a bit for you is a win, isn't it? Maybe the eye problems and the ear problems are not connected, so don't expect to find a cause/treatment that solves everything at once. What do you think? I'd like to hear your opinion 🙂 Also what's your age? Have you thought about perimenopausal symptoms? They start for some women in their late 30's and they can really mess up your life (I know..I'm 44)!

I read your post with great interest! You sound a lot like me, except I am much older than you (74). And so, I wonder if I can still “bounce back” like younger people. Until Covid, I felt very young for my age and was very independent and active.

I did focus on my eyes when I just hit dead ends for my ears. I had mild cataracts and so I had cataract surgery. It was all that was suggested for me. Unfortunately the surgery was not helpful at all. One eye was corrected for near vision and one for far vision, which has increased my dizziness! I can have corrective surgery (a LASIK procedure) but I hesitate to do more right now. Like you I have seen all the different doctors.

Tomorrow I have balloon dilation of my Eustachian tubes. I don’t hold out too much hope, but it is low risk and my Primary doctor and an ENT doctor feel it’s worth a try.
I do get very discouraged that I will ever have a normal life again.

The ballon dilation may be the solution, don't loose your hope! Please do come back in a few days to say if this worked for you.

Tinnitus here and it's so annoying. Not until COVID in March 2023 did I have it. That w/ lymphedema, peeling foot bottoms from it, and horrific rashes in my mouth. Now finally hope to have a telehealth appointment in late May with a study in hopes of getting in. I do not expect a cure. I just want answers and some comfort for the symptoms.

If they can send rockets to Mars ... why are the studies tho' robust so late?

Hi everyone,
I commented here extensively awhile back so thought I’d update. Unfortunately, the Eustachian tube balloon dilation was not the answer for me. If anything my ears are worse than before. It’s been about a month and my ENT says my ears may continue to change for a year. Hmmm, ok. Not sure what that means, because my ears were already constantly changing.
I’m still dealing with hyperacusis, tinnitus, hearing loss and very blurry vision. Doctors say the two are not related. I think they are.
No answers, no answers, no answers........

I want a brain transplant, into cyborg body.

Gone:
Ok. I'm at 4 years, after Covid twice and two two year Long Covid episodes.
Energy and clarity is returning. Almost but not quite fainting spells (often referred to as dizzy) are gone.
Insomica gone.

Remains:
Emotional volitity. I am quick to anger, quick to cry, quick to feel disguist, quick to feel love and affection. There is not much ability to suppress emotioin.

Tinutus....my ears still ring.

I have PET patchoulous (?) eustachian tube post covid with slight hearing loss. annoying, but least of my long covid issues. so sorry for your suffering

I can relate. What has happened to me is what was referred to as “nervous breakdown” in years past. I am also quite emotional, and find myself melting down to tears of frustration often.

I really hate where I am emotionally as a result of my physical condition. I believe if I started to improve, my emotional health would follow. Unfortunately my health is still deteriorating. My hearing, eyesight, digestive issues and dizziness are worse all the time. I continue with blood tests, and various treatments looking for answers, but so far nothing stops the progression.

It’s very hard to be positive when no answers are found for a debilitating condition.

May be helpful. I occasionally have what feels like an earache in one ear. Sometimes it's gone for months. The first time I used antibiotic eardrops & they didn't help. What DOES help is this:

When I feel the familiar discomfort, after I lay down to sleep, I put one drop in the ear (facing up), and try not to turn over while I sleep. When I get up in the night, I first put some tissue there so it doesn't spill out - because it stains. It only takes one or two nights & it's gone for weeks or months.