Do Hearing Aids Help?

Two consequences of Meniere’s Disease (MD)are hearing loss and social isolation; hearing aids are designed to prevent both latter and former. MD patients are usually advised to start wearing hearing aids soon as possible and regular adjustments to hearing aids will help.

Regular hearing tests are important (I have one once a year unless other issues arise), especially those with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) . Your physician can refer you to an audiologist who will run the appropriate hearing tests and recommend hearing aids for your specific needs.

Some MD patients report that hearing aids have managed their Meniere’s symptoms. While hearing aids are not a cure-all, they sometimes helps with balance, dizziness, ear fullness and tinnitus. Hearing aid amplification also helps with evening out hearing balance with the “good ear.”

I can attest to the latter paragraph. I have 46 percent loss in my right ear. I wear two hearing aids to equalize hearing despite having only a 10 percent loss in my left (“good”) ear.

The Oticon Open STM is the hearing aid model I wear. Its MiniRITE style is compatible with an iPhone and features a push button to control volume and listening (great for those who have difficulty hearing through background noise!). I notice clearer hearing (even low sounds such as hummingbirds) and help with tinnitus.

More encouraging news: Hearing aids can help reduce vertigo attacks and balance issues in some cases.

Cochlear implants are also an effective option for MD patients with profound sensorineural hearing loss. Studies suggest patients with MD who have had a labyrinthectomy to control vertigo also performed well with a cochlear implant. Like hearing aids, cochlear implants aren’t an instant cure but certainly another option to consider for those with more severe hearing loss.

So do hearing aids help with Meniere’s? Consider that having only one fully functional ear results in MD patients’ reduction in the brain’s ability to post process sounds well as it does with “normal” ears. Post processing with hearing aids increases functional sound and also improve ability of understanding word sounds.

Hearing aids are expensive but some insurances may cover all or part of the costs, so be sure to check your specific insurance plan. The investment will be worth once again hearing with remarkable clarity – and sometimes help decrease distressful MD symptoms we all experience at some point!