Hi all, Finally had my hearing test which was a pure tone test. It was normal although I have minor hearing loss at 8000 frequency. The audiologist said it's still normal as it's due to age. I'm 45. He said meniers usually affects hearing with low frequency and said he wouldn't put it down to meniers from my hearing test He also said he's seen so many people who have been diagnosed with meniers who don't have it and that's the first thing he said. He looked like "here we go again" He said when there's no cause they say it's meniers. That's the second audiologist who's told me that. He also said just because you have tinnitus and hearing loss don't mean its that. I've also discovered that you could do a pure tone test online. You have to download the app from playstore.
Congrats! But... Were you diagnosed with meniere without having vertigo and without an MRI? That is rare, they do not usually look much to rule out other causes not related to the ear, but that they do usually do.
Seriously, I dont know why they would have diagnosed you with meniers. For 20 years I had the hearing loss happening on and off in my left ear with all the fullness and pain but, without the vertigo, they would never call it "meniers". Only after the vertigo started and my intensive hearing test showed the classic loss of hearing on the low end did they finally diagnose me with "meniers".
No I've never been diagnosed with meniers but was told it could be as that's wat it sounded like. I have vertigo and tinittus. I think it's quite difficult to diagnose but apparently he said he's seen many people that have been diagnosed when in his opinion don't have it. I'd believe an audiologist since they know a lot about hearing loss and the ears.
Yeah that's strange cause I thought vertigo is usually the first symptom of meniers. He said people assume it's meniers cause they have vertigo and hearing loss when hearing loss could be a number of things. My auntie has vertigo, tinnitus and hearing loss but hers started with an infection. I'm not saying I don't have it but nothing to prove I do. He also said it usually starts in the 30s. I reckon the biggest clue is the duration of vertigo.
They thought it was meniers cause I have vertigo and tinnitus. I got my first vertigo the morning after a fun fair ride. I was diagnosed with bppv but I was feeling dizzy weeks later on and off. I was told I could have bppv and meniers but I find it hard to believe tla funfair ride triggered 2 conditions.
One of the things my first ENT told me was that Meniere's is over-diagnosed. This is because there are many other conditions that can cause similar conditions. Even though he suspected I had it, he never brought up the word Meniere's until he had the results from all of my tests. Even then, he never said I definitely have it, just that I probably have it. The neurotologist he then sent me to pretty much agreed that I most likely have it, which is basically saying "yes, you do have Meniere's but there is no actual test that can confirm it".
So maybe nobody has menieres. I think it is a set of symptoms not otherwise explained. So when they get smart and figure out what everything is, there wont be any more menieres. Meanwhile, til the purists figure out how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, we have to find relief.
I see Meniers as a "catch all" phrase. If you have #1. hearing loss in the low register #2. A full ear #3. vertigo... it's called "meniers". The causes can be many and varied but the symptoms are the above. In a nutshell it's "idiopathic" which I interpret as "We have no idea what it really is or what to do about it".