Hi, I just signed up to share my experiences with Meniere's in the hope it might help someone who has similar issues to me. Apologies if I'm repeating information already on the website. I am in my mid-40s from the UK and was diagnosed with Meniere's eventually after numerous GP and hospital visits over a few years. I am deaf in one ear (since Mumps at 8 years old), and a have some hearing loss in my good ear (I believe it is about 70% of normal). I started getting Vertigo attacks a few years back, most mild dizziness spells initially, but occasionally some very nasty ones, where I would be vomiting for a couple of hours solid etc. The frequency of these bad attacks increased over time and eventually I was referred to specialists. Unfortunately the various specialists I saw were unable to help me but diagnosed me with Meniere's Disease as expected. I have been on Betahistine for over a year and it certainly helped reduce the severity of incidents I had. My life changed about 4 months ago due to a chance encounter with an Audiology specialist. She asked if I'd tried hearing aids and was surprised to hear that nobody had even mentioned these with regards to helping with my Meniere's condition. I've never felt the need for these in normal life as I get by just fine from a hearing point of view, but obviously was very much up for trying anything that might help from a Meniere's point of view. They have been an absolute revelation and have changed my life! I went from almost daily debilitating attacks to having hardly any at all (and I believe the minor ones I have had is when I didn't realise the filter was clogged with wax). I'm not sure exactly how they work, but they use the CROS system - I think the Audiologist said they effectively trick the brain into believing you are hearing out of both ears. They have been quite simply life changing for me in the last few months. The reason I post is that not one of the specialists I saw even suggested that Hearing Aids might be a help and I want to make sure that others who might have a similar cause for their Meniere's are aware of their potential. If you haven't tried them I highly recommend trialing them. Anyway, I just thought I'd share. I imagine this is something that many are already aware of, but I wanted to post just in case it helps anybody. Thanks Steve
I haven't heard of hearing aides helping vertigo. Is this is special type of hearing aid? Thank you for sharing this information, and any info on the CROS system would help. Were they expensive? An audiologist told me hearing aides would not help my Menieres low-frequency hearing loss with better sound discrimination-- all they could do was amplify the sound, and I didn't think that was worth paying $5,000.
Hi JanieJiffy, I'm no expert on them, but CROS stands for Contralateral Routing Of Signal - i.e routing sound from one side to the opposite side. The sound is picked up by a microphone on the ear with little or no hearing and it is sent over to the good ear. (the below is copied from a website): The system requires a CROS device in the unaidable ear (a shell of a hearing aid with a microphone and transmitter) and a regular hearing aid in the good/better hearing ear. Most CROS systems now use advanced wireless technology and function using radio signals. Hearing loss isn’t always experienced equally in both ears. When there is an unaidable loss in one ear then a CROS or BiCROS system can be used to route the sound from the poor ear to the better ear. The wearer is then able to hear sounds from all around in the better ear. Sometimes the brain can separate the sounds so that it feels like it’s actually hearing through the poorer ear. My hearing aids cost £2,400 (approx $3000). But I was able to trial them before purchase, so I assume you'd be able to find a provider that would let you do the same. As you say, it's a huge outlay if you're not sure they will work, but if you can trial them then well worth giving it a go.
Thanks so much.. I will print up your reply and take it to an audiologist.... I wonder if a lot of people could be helped by this, with relief from vertigo. I can accept my hearing loss far better than vertigo, so if this works on vertigo, it would be life-changing.
I'd like to add, would you check in with this group in a couple of months to see if your vertigo relief continues?
The Audiologist said the many people aren't aware that this could help them. That's why I posted, it's been life changing for me. I was was fortunate enough to meet the right person to put me on to this, so felt I should spread the word. Fingers crossed it helps you, certainly worth a try. I'll check back in, yep, no problem. Good luck.
Thanks...one more question, as I am trying to ascertain if your situation is similar to mine...what would set off your vertigo? Mine can be set off by a change in neck position (especially a forward movement of the head, or throwing my head back suddenly), biting down on something hard, and when symptoms are really bad, sometimes just by a sudden eye movement. It feels like my brain gets suddenly scrambled.
Mine was often set off by head movements - head tilted back and to the side was the most common. I found that I was particularly susceptible to episodes if I was tired or hot. And I was also more susceptible after eating food with high sodium levels (but obviously I cut this down when I realised that it was a trigger after reading up on it).
I have hearing aids with CROS. My hearing is almost nothing in my bad ear but can be good enough in my good ear. I only wear them when I am out with people and do find them helpful, but on my really bad days, they aren't much help. On my really bad days, they make me hear the noises around me, but speech recognition is way down. Mine are made by Signia and were VERY expensive. I have not found them to be any help at all with reducing my MD symptoms. I had them on for the last two days and had a fairly major attack this morning.
I just bought Oticon Real 3 mini rite seems to help with my balance as far as hearing that’s seems better at times also still playing with adjustments what’s comfortable. Thanks for info on Crocs never heard of it will ask my audiologist about it.
My hearing in my good ear has been pretty good ever since I went on Keto, up until about 2 weeks ago. Then in typical Meniere's fashion, it all of a sudden started fluctuating again. So, I have a pair of Apple AirPods Pro 2 and recently, with IOS 18.1, they can do hearing tests AND be used as hearing aids! I haven't had time to really get to know them thoroughly but they do definitely work! The sound quality is infinitely better than my $6,000 hearing aids. They work very well inside and can be adjusted in several ways such as brightness etc.. I wore them yesterday in a restaurant and they were a game changer. Outside, they seem to be close to useless due to wind noise. There should be a muff or screen available to cover the mic but after hours of Googling I haven't found anything. That seems pretty surprising as wind noise is a complaint from many people with this model of AirPods, not just as hearing aids. Anyway, I have only tried them as HA for a few days and I'm very impressed. Today, my hearing is fine, go figure. I hope to do another hearing test with them today. If you have report from the audiologist, you can input that as well and then they will use that info in their HA amplification.
Donamo, you’re located in Canada, correct? I ask because I was going to get those same AirPods but I read that the hearing aid feature isn’t available in Canada because it hasn’t been approved yet. Did you do anything special to gain access to the feature?
Ouch, you may be right! I am in FL for the winter. That feature isn't mentioned on Apple.ca. I bought my AirPods Pro 2 in Canada but they don't work as HA until you update to IOS 18.1 and that came out after I arrived in Florida. Some people say it is GPS controlled. If mine quit working back home I will be pissed. I have used them more now and I really like them, used them at an outdoor noisy patio restaurant and they were a game changer. They have the same problems as regular HA in that dishes clattering is too loud etc. but still great for occasional use when necessary. I wear glasses and behind the ear HA were never really comfortable. Maybe you should call Apple or go to an Apple store. You can also buy and return if you want. Their noise cancelling is also very good.
That makes complete sense as I’ve read that some Canadians have gone across the boarder to activate them. There’s more than a few reports of them continuing to work when back in Canada but at this point nobody knows if they’ll continue to work. I might just have to do the same, and activate in the US.
I have been wearing one aid in my good ear - my bad ear is not correctable. I tried a Cros set about 2 years ago, but did not want to spend $4,500 at the local audiologist on aids that wouldn't connect to my phone- ridiculous at that price. I have been getting mine at Costco-( Phillips brand) about $ 800. for one. They recently told me they are talking about getting Cros aids in in 2025. I will be looking forward to trying them .
Very frustrating that not all country’s have this update for Apple Pro 2’s to be used as hearing aids, I would love to try it. I’m in Australia.
Absolutely! It's a "controlling government" thing, not Apple. I had purchased, and returned, a pair of Jabra hearing aids online here in Florida before. It never occurred to me that I probably can't do that in Canada, or Australia. I used mine again in a restaurant the other day, worked great. BTW they are on sale on Amazon.com today, Dec 1 2024, for $154 USD as compared to $249. An amazing bargain, we bought another pair for my wife. It would be interesting to know, as MrE pointed out, if activation in the USA "sticks" when you take them home.