Age: 72.0
Sex: F
Vaccine: COVID19
Symptoms: Acoustic stimulation tests abnormal, Auditory disorder, Balance disorder, COVID-19, Cochlear injury
Clinical narrative: I tested positive for COVID-19 on 7/26/2022. I had fever and mild malaise. I began taking Paxlovid on the afternoon of 7/26/2022. The symptoms lasted until 7/27/2022. I had no more symptoms of COVID-19 after that. About two weeks later, I took another home antigen test and got a negative result. On 10/18/2022, my left ear started to buzz really loudly for about two or three minutes before there was absolute silence and I had lost my hearing in that ear. The hearing loss persists to this, and I still cannot hear out of my left ear. I thought at the time that maybe I had a sinus or ear infection, so on 10/19/2022, I went to my PCP. The NP treated me for a possible sinus infection with an antibiotic, which may have been Keflex, but I'm not sure. On 10/20/2022, I got up in the morning to go to the bathroom, and my balance was off. Not only was I off-balance and unable to hear out of the left ear, but I was also nauseous. My husband had to help me get stabilized enough to get through the vertigo, get dressed, and then go out to the car. He then took me to the ER. At the ER, I was treated for sudden hearing loss. They weren't sure where the deafness was coming from. I underwent a CT scan, MRI, and echocardiogram, because I had an increased heartrate at this point, and they wanted to make sure I hadn't had a stroke. I was admitted to the hospital that day for observation. They had me consult with a physical therapist, because I was going to be going home with a walker. After the results of the tests came back, they ruled out any cardiac issues or stroke issues. I had not had a stroke. On 10/21/2022, I was discharged from the hospital and sent home with a walker and a prescription for Antivert. I called an ENT specialist to see about getting an appointment with him to treat the sudden hearing loss. I saw the ENT on 10/24/2022. He was quite concerned that it had happened five or six days previously and that I was just now seeing him. He also said that since the MRI at the hospital was not done with contrast dye, I would need to undergo an MRI with the contrast dye. I underwent the MRI with the contrast dye on 10/26/2022. I then saw the ENT again on 10/28/2022, and he said that the MRI with contrast dye showed that there had been no infarct in the auditory nerve, but it did show changes in the cochlea of the left ear that were indicative of a viral infection. He then had me undergo a hearing test that day, and there was absolutely no response in the left ear. Not only that, but the response was decreased in the right ear. The ENT then performed an intratympanic steroid injection in the left ear. On 11/4/2022, I underwent another intratympanic steroid injection in the left ear. Despite having had two steroid injections, there was no change in the left ear. I then underwent a third intratympanic steroid injection on 11/22/2022. On 12/9/2022, I went back to the audiologist in the same practice to undergo a post-injection hearing test. The results indicated no change. I still had no hearing in the left ear, and the quality of my hearing in the right ear had also not changed since the first hearing test. The audiologist then fitted me for a BICROS hearing aid system. In the meantime, my balance did improve, but at nighttime, I still have to either use my cane or else have my husband prop me up when I'm outdoors in the dark. I was told that my balance would never be what it was prior to the changes I experienced. Since I have been using the BICROS system, I have been unable to tell from which direction sounds are coming, because the amplifier on the left side transfers the sound waves to the hearing aid on the right side, but all in all, I am very blessed. Not only that, starting on or about 10/25/2022 and 10/26/2022, I had a physical therapist come to my home and work with me. I underwent six sessions during a three-week period, and they really helped me. Around the time of 11/14/2022, I was able to walk without using a walker. Nowadays, I use a cane if I ever need support.