Bilateral hearing levels in Meniere’s disease may fluctuate simultaneously

BACKGROUND: We observe fluctuations in hearing thresholds in both ears of patients with unilateral Meniere's disease (MD), even during early stages. If hearing fluctuations on both sides are synchronized, this may be related to the pathophysiology of MD. OBJECTIVES: To examine whether hearing fluctuations in the affected and non-affected ears occur synchronously in patients with MD. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 2985 pure-tone audiometry tests performed in 217 patients with definite MD. Based on pure-tone audiometry test results, we calculated average thresholds for low-, middle-, and high-tone hearing ranges and the differences between them on one audiometry test and that in the next test. When the affected side improved or diminished by ≥10 dB at two or more frequencies, we examined whether the non-affected side showed corresponding changes in each range. RESULTS: < 0.01). Changes occurred in the same direction, whereas no change in the affected ear corresponded to no change in the non-affected ear. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: Hearing fluctuations in MD may occur synchronously in affected and non-affected ears, suggesting systemic or central involvement and the need for monitoring.