Amid pushes for a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccines, the World Health Organization has said it is looking into reports of hearing problems stemming from the vaccines.
According to NBC News, the WHO has reported 367 cases of tinnitus among people who had received a COVID-19 vaccine.
The condition is characterized by ringing in the ears, and it usually occurred within one day of the vaccine being administered to patients who reported it.
Patients who experienced this side effect ranged in age from 19 to 91, NBC reported. Almost 75 percent of those who reported the condition were women.
In addition to the cases of tinnitus, the WHO reported 164 people identified new hearing loss after receiving the vaccine as of Feb. 22.
“A recent signal detection activity at the Uppsala Monitoring Centre (UMC) identified hearing loss (including sudden cases) and tinnitus following COVID-19 vaccination as a preliminary signal to be further assessed,” the WHO wrote in a newsletter.
Some of the patients who experienced these symptoms also reported “headache, dizziness and nausea,” the WHO said.
NBC said reports of tinnitus came from 27 different countries including Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States.
While some patients recovered quickly, others had to undergo “steroid treatment” to address the side effects, the newsletter said.
In addition, multiple patients described their tinnitus after vaccination as “unrelenting and life-altering for months,” NBC reported.
The WHO said it needed to continue monitoring reports of these side effects to make a final determination on next steps.
“Awareness of this possible link may help healthcare professionals and those vaccinated to monitor symptoms and seek care, as appropriate,” the newsletter said.
Authored by Grant Atkinson via Western Journal
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