Sensory disorders: hypersensitivity to light and sounds, loss of taste or smell

Malfunction of the Autonomic Nervous System

Tinnitus is most often described as a ringing in the ears, even though no external sound is present. However, tinnitus can also cause other types of phantom noises in your ears, including: Buzzing, roaring, clicking, hissing, humming. 

Long Covid patients often report sensitivity to light and noise. Sensory overload occurs when external stimuli such as sound (hyperacousis), light (photophobia), touch, taste and movement overwhelm the senses and the brain can’t process it all. 

About a third of patients have prolonged troubles with taste and smell after acute COVID infection. Loss of taste and smell can have a significant impact on quality of life. It often leads to decreased appetite and poor nutrition. It can sometimes contribute to depression. Loss of taste and smell also might tempt you to use excess salt or sugar on your food to enhance the taste. This could be a problem if you have high blood pressure or diabetes. 

Sources:  
The Mayo Clinic, The Cleveland Clinic 
Post-Covid recommendations for primary care physicians – Switzerland  
Practical management of post-Covid19 disease, Dr Ioannis Kokkinakis, Dr Mathieu Saubade, Dr Konstantinos Tzartzas, Dr Serge De Vallière, Dr Catherine Duquenne, Pr Gilles Allali, Dr Frédéric Regamey and Pr Bernard Favrat - Rev Med Suisse 2023 

    • Hyper sensibility to sounds, light, taste, touch and/or movement 

    • Tinnitus 

    • Photophobia 

    • Sonophobia 

    • Loss of smell (anosmia) 

    • Anormal smell 

    • Loss and anormal taste 

    • Associated potential symptoms: 

    • Fatigue 

    • Stress 

    • Sleep problems 

    • Concentration problems 

    • Memory problems 

    • Depression 

    • Anxiety and irritability 

    • Headaches

  • Simple actions to begin, that you can do right now   

    • Avoid overstimulating sensory environment 

    • Wearing sunglasses 

    • Investing in non-glare screens and changing colour contrasts 

    • Use earplugs that remove the background noise but still let you listen to people 

    • Consider noise-cancelling headphones  

    • Olfactory rehabilitation 

     

    Additional actions to go further 

    • Limit alcohol, caffeine and nicotine 

    • daily low frequency sounds rehabilitation, for tinnitus

    • Medical evaluation 

    • Vestibular physiotherapy and osteopathic treatment, for tinnitus 

    • Olfactory rehabilitation 

    • Evaluation of associated symptoms like fatigue, anxiety, depression, etc. 

     

    Tests: 

    • Specialized otorhinolaryngology assessment 

    • Specialized ophtalmology assessment

  •  Physiotherapy 

    • Olfactory training  

    • Sound therapy 

    • Hypnosis

Find out what has worked for others experiencing your symptoms.

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