COVID-19 can cause an ear infection
The buildup of fluid can impact hearing, says UCI Health otolaryngologist
IN THE NEWS: There’s research to suggest that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can infect the ear. Dr. Hamid Djalilian, an otolaryngologist at UCI Health Ear, Nose and Throat Services, recently spoke with Prevention. He explained that because the respiratory tract of the nose is connected with the lining of the ear through the Eustachian tube, patients who acquire COVID-19 can get fluid behind the eardrum from the viral infection.
“It would be rare that somebody needs an antibiotic for an infection of the ear caused by COVID-19, but they may have decreased hearing and fullness in the ear as a result of the fluid accumulation behind the eardrum.”
Djalilian says those who experience frequent ear infections as an adult should see a physician, because it can be related to a long history of Eustachian tube dysfunction.
Djalilian is a board-certified and fellowship trained in otology, neurotology and skull base surgery at UCI Health. His areas of expertise include complex ear surgery, hearing loss, balance disorders, facial nerve paralysis and skull base surgery. As a professor of otolaryngology at the UC Irvine School of Medicine, Djalilian’s research is related to cochlear implants, acoustic neuroma and chronic ear disease. He has developed several innovative devices for the treatment of hearing loss, imbalance and tinnitus.
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About UCI Health
UCI Health is one of California’s largest academic health systems and the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine. Established on July 1, 1976, UCI Health has grown into a 1,461-bed health system that includes UCI Health — Orange, UCI Health — Irvine, four Community Network hospitals and a growing network of ambulatory care centers across Orange and Los Angeles counties. As Orange County’s only academic health systems, UCI Health is home to the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center based in the county, the region’s only American College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center, American College of Emergency Physicians Gold Level 1 Geriatric Emergency Department and a nationally recognized regional burn center verified by the American Burn Association. Powered by UC Irvine, UCI Health serves 5.6 million people across Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County through excellence in patient care, research and medical education. Follow UCI Health on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.