Hearing impairment caused
by Meniere's Disease and possible hearing assistance through hearing
aids, cochlear implants, and the like, are, in our opinion, widely
underreported aspects of Meniere's Disease. We have added this
Hearing Technology Page, on which we direct visitors to Meniere's
Disease patient David Copithorne's excellent coverage of this subject
at his website
HearingMojo.com.
Visit HearingMojo.com for the
latest in hearing technology news and reviews, including hearing aids,
cochlear implants, tax policy, and other leading edge issues.
(This is news, not advertising, and we receive no compensation for listing
this excellent site.)
Basic hearing aid information for
Meniere's Disease patients.
Hearing aids help some but not all
Meniere's Disease patients. One thing to keep in mind is to tell your
hearing aid dispenser that your
hearing loss is due to Meniere's Disease and the extent to which your
hearing fluctuates. Hearing aids vary from simple, relatively
inexpensive analog devices to complex, programmable, digital,
high-tech, expensive devices.
Generally speaking, there are two
kinds of hearing loss: conductive and sensorineural. Conductive
hearing loss results from an impaired sound pathway from the outer ear
to the inner ear. Sensineural hearing loss results from impairment of
the auditory branch of the vestibulocochlear (8th cranial) nerve. Hearing loss from
Meniere's Disease results from destruction of the hair cells on the
end of the auditory branch in the inner ear. The sound reaches the
inner ear, but there are no hair cells to receive them and to transmit
them to the brain. Therefore, hearing loss from Meniere's
Disease is sensorineural. See Dr. Timothy Hain's information
here.
We think that the only way to figure
out whether a hearing aid will help
any particular person is for that person to get one and try it out.
Fortunately, most U.S. states have laws that provide for a trial
period, during which one can get all or most of the cost of the
hearing aid returned. However,
professional fees of doctors and audiologists are generally not
refundable.
Click
here
for information from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.
to link
directly to specific topics.