Higher incidence of Ménière’s disease during COVID-19 pandemic: a preliminary report
Andrea Lovato, Andrea Frosolini, Gino Marioni, Cosimo de Filippis
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic represented a stressful event. OBJECTIVES: The incidence of newly diagnosed Ménière's disease (MD) patients before and during COVID-19 at our Institution was calculated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The period 2018-2020 was considered. Incidence was calculated as number of annual first MD diagnoses divided by the number of annual first audiological evaluations. RESULTS: =.03). CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: A higher incidence of MD first diagnosis was calculated during COVID-19 pandemic; furthermore, MD patients presented with more vertigo attacks and higher DHI values. These could be associated with the higher state anxiety during COVID-19 pandemic.