{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,28]],"date-time":"2025-11-28T05:26:53Z","timestamp":1764307613599,"version":"3.46.0"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,26]],"date-time":"2025-11-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1764115200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100000055","name":"National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["DC020502","DC021173"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["DC020502","DC021173"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100000055","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"name":"San Jos\u00e8 State University"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Audiology Research"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Tinnitus has been increasingly reported during the COVID-19 pandemic, following both infection and vaccination. While these reports suggest that pandemic-related factors may influence the onset or worsening of tinnitus, the perceptual characteristics and functional consequences of such cases remain poorly understood. This study examined the nature, severity, and communication-related impact of self-reported tinnitus following COVID-19 vaccination. Methods: A total of 770 adults who self-reported new or worsened tinnitus after vaccination completed a structured online survey between August 2021 and May 2023. Standardized instruments included the Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI), the Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ), and visual analog scales assessing loudness discomfort and hyperacusis-related symptoms. Analyses included descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, t-tests, and correlation matrices. Results: Respondents reported moderate to severe tinnitus-related distress, with the greatest impacts on emotional control, sleep, and relaxation. Many described communication difficulties in noisy or multi-talker environments, despite relatively preserved spatial hearing and sound quality. A substantial subset endorsed hyperacusis symptoms, including sound-induced annoyance, fear, and intolerance. Correlation analyses revealed strong associations between emotional, cognitive, and auditory domains, underscoring the multidimensional burden of tinnitus in this population. Conclusions: Self-reported tinnitus after COVID-19 vaccination was associated with distress, sleep disruption, and communication difficulties, mirroring patterns commonly observed in tinnitus more broadly. Although causality cannot be determined, these findings highlight the importance of comprehensive audiological and psychological assessment for individuals reporting auditory complaints after vaccination and support the inclusion of functional hearing outcomes in tinnitus evaluation protocols.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/audiolres15060164","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,26]],"date-time":"2025-11-26T14:39:43Z","timestamp":1764167983000},"page":"164","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Tinnitus-Related Functional and Perceptual Impairments Following COVID-19 Vaccination: An Online Multi-Domain Survey Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0395-6959","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anusha","family":"Yellamsetty","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Audiology, San Jos\u00e9 State University, San Jos\u00e9, CA 95192, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Gianmaris","family":"Fortuna","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Audiology, San Jos\u00e9 State University, San Jos\u00e9, CA 95192, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0457-6296","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Egbe-Etu","family":"Etu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Marketing and Business Analytics, San Jos\u00e8 State University, San Jos\u00e9, CA 95192, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Shaowen","family":"Bao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physiology and Department of Otolaryngology\u2014Head and Neck Surgery, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1600","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(13)60142-7","article-title":"Tinnitus","volume":"382","author":"Baguley","year":"2013","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"920","DOI":"10.1016\/S1474-4422(13)70160-1","article-title":"Tinnitus: Causes and clinical management","volume":"12","author":"Langguth","year":"2013","journal-title":"Lancet Neurol."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"819","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neuron.2010.04.032","article-title":"Tuning out the noise: Limbic\u2013auditory interactions in tinnitus","volume":"66","author":"Rauschecker","year":"2010","journal-title":"Neuron"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"104611","DOI":"10.1016\/j.amjoto.2025.104611","article-title":"Systematic review and meta-analysis of the correlation between tinnitus and mental health","volume":"46","author":"Jiang","year":"2025","journal-title":"Am. 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