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Bilateral: chances and effects

Discussion in 'Your Living Room' started by Pupper, Mar 21, 2019.

  1. Pupper

    Pupper Active Member

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    A lot of MM sufferers worry about going bilateral, or if we're in the early stages of going bilateral and don't know it. I've recently been worrying about the latter, because my good ear is getting some mild ringing and pressure. It's not uncommon for our MM doctor to tell us, "that's just your good ear wanting attention." Could be.

    Anyway, below is the renowned MM expert Dr. Timothy Hain weighing in on the subject. I've mentioned Haine's opinion before on the issue of bilateralism. But here is a fuller quote. His view is kinda comforting since the thought of going bilateral is scary. Rookie MM sufferers may think bilateral onset and dizzy attacks would have to be experienced all over again, just as bad as when we first got MM. Not so, it seems.

    (Though, he doesn't touch on a bilateral MM person going fully deaf in the future. Maybe he doesn't mention it because it doesn't happen.)

    Begin Hain: (bolds mine)

    "Meniere's disease usually starts confined to one ear but it often extends to involve both ears over time so that after 30 years, 50% of patients with Meniere's have bilateral disease (Stahle et al, 1991).

    There is some controversy about this statistic however -- some authors, for example Silverstein, suggest that the prevalence of bilaterality is as low as 17% (Silverstein, 1992). Suh found the prevalence was only 5.6% (2018).

    We do generally agree that there is often minor symptoms on the other ear, and also that it is rare that both ears are severely impacted.

    ...Silverstein suggested that 75% of persons destined to become bilateral do so within 5 years. We would not agree with this in our own wide experience at Chicago Dizziness and Hearing. Even if one does become bilateral, usually the second ear is affected only to a mild extent -- perhaps a little tinnitus or fullness."


    Link:

    Meniere's Disease
     
    Last edited: Mar 21, 2019
    • Informative Informative x 2
  2. Pupper

    Pupper Active Member

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    I've read elsewhere that the consensus of going bilateral is 50% within the first 5 years of onset. And then the chances lessen after that. So, you want to make it to five years without going bilateral. I've got 2 years to go. (As I type this there's ringing in my good ear, hah! not funny).
     
  3. Kevinb003

    Kevinb003 Active Member

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    I started getting bilateral symptoms in my left ear 13 years after my original diagnosis in the right ear. So far its only cochlear hydrops and AVs and other supplements are doing a great job of keeping those symptoms at bay. Hope its just a passing thing for you.
     
  4. PleaseNoDizzy

    PleaseNoDizzy Active Member

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    Thanks pupper, I agree it is reassuring to read that.
     
  5. June-

    June- Well-Known Member

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    I only have one ear with hearing/balance and it has CH. it was proceding to full blow menieres when i stumbled on antivirals and allergy treatment which reversed it all.
     

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