Is Covid to blame for this crackling noise in my ears? DR MARTIN SCURR answers your questions

By Liam On Apr 17, 2023

I have had tinnitus in both ears for over three years. A consultant said it was caused by a virus, but is it normal to have stabbing pains and also hear creaking noises?

Dina Berni, by email.

Tinnitus means that you ‘hear’ sounds such as buzzing or ringing that are not coming from an outside source.

The ‘sounds’ come from the brain. Exactly why this happens is not understood, but it has been linked to conditions such as middle ear infections, earwax buildup, and age-related hearing loss.

The thinking here is that the brain compensates for the lack of sound that reaches it with the tinnitus ‘noise’.

You say in your longer letter that you are convinced that the tinnitus was caused by a Covid-19 infection.

Viruses can cause tinnitus, meaning you ‘hear’ sounds such as buzzing or ringing that don’t come from an outside source, says Dr Martin Scurr (file image)

Viruses (including Covid-19) can cause tinnitus, usually due to inflammation that damages nerves that carry hearing information to the brain. A survey last year found that 20 percent of those affected by Covid developed tinnitus.

But this was usually short-lived and only present for the duration of the original illness.

IN MY OPINION… Insurance that’s not security at all

May I warn about the growing numbers considering private health insurance?

My mother, 93, has had her policy with a major UK provider for 60 years. At her age, the premium is astronomical — even more than her utility bills — but she maintains this luxury so she can have the assurance of receiving care when she needs it — and she did.

Four months ago she broke her femur in a fall. Paramedics were quick to attend and the subsequent surgery and NHS hospital care was great.

About the seventh day after surgery, the hospital was eager to send her home, so great was the winter pressure on the beds. She still couldn’t stand, so she came up with the idea of going to the private ward of the hospital for a few days of rehabilitation.

But her insurance refused to cover this because she hadn’t told them, as it says in the fine print, that if she was admitted to the NHS as an emergency she would let them know within five days.

Is it fair that a frail lady, in the throes of catastrophe, should be expected to get her head together and contact her insurer?

I wonder if it’s a safer option to save a small amount of money each month instead of transferring money for an insurance policy spelled out in fine print, should you ever want to go down the private care route.

However, the pain and crackling you experience are not usually associated with tinnitus.

It could be a sign of Eustachian tube dysfunction, where the tubes that keep the inner ear ventilated become clogged with mucus. However, this usually does not last for three years and your adviser would have ruled this out.

At this stage, three years after your symptoms started, there is little point in confirming whether a Covid-19 infection is the cause. I would suggest focusing on finding ways to best deal with tinnitus.

One option is tinnitus retraining therapy, a form of counseling that aims to make you less aware of the rogue noises.

This takes place in a specialized center over several months and has been shown to be effective in up to 80 percent of patients.

If your complaints control your life, I advise you to seek a referral through your consultant.

Does my 73 year old husband have to wear compression stockings on a ten hour flight? He underwent keyhole surgery on his knee six weeks ago.

Name and address provided.

This is a valuable question, which will be of interest to many readers. There is some evidence that surgery — and even a brief hospitalization — may temporarily increase the risk of blood clots. This is known as acquired thrombophilia.

The inactivity that inevitably accompanies these scenarios means that blood is also not flowing through the body, increasing the chance of clot formation.

There is some debate about how long this increased risk of clots lasts; some say a few days, others think it’s six weeks or more.

Many factors play into the risk of it happening. For example, the patient’s age (the older they are, the higher the risk) and the length of anesthesia used in surgery (the longer, the higher the chance of clots).

Although the chances of your husband developing a blood clot are slim, I recommend that he wear compression stockings while traveling.

As the name suggests, these apply pressure to the lower legs to maintain blood flow and reduce swelling, which helps prevent a clot from forming.

My opinion is that it is better to be safe than sorry, as blood clots in the deep veins in the legs caused by a period of immobility while traveling can migrate and block the blood vessels in the lungs; known as pulmonary embolism, this can be fatal.

In addition to wearing the compression stockings, your man should stay well hydrated while traveling and walk down the aisle of the plane every two hours to encourage healthy blood flow.

And advise him not to sleep with his legs hanging for too long, as coagulation is a greater risk with a stationary, sleeping passenger.

Write to Dr. Scurr

Write to dr. Scurr at Good Health, Daily Mail, 9 Derry Street, London W8 5HY or email: drmartin@dailymail.co.uk — add contact details.

Dr. Scurr cannot respond to personal correspondence. Answers should be taken in a general context. In case of health problems, consult your own doctor.