Occupational Hearing Loss, Noise Induced Hearing Loss, and Meniers Disease

Dizziness, Vertigo and Meniere's Disease

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There are a few references in the literature which state that acoustic trauma or loud noise levels can cause Meniere's disease. However, the review of the literature shows only soft evidence to support this contention. Noise induced hearing loss (acoustic trauma) is commonly seen in the general population. It is the most common cause of acquired hearing loss in adults. Thus, it is not uncommon for some patients with Meniere's disease to also have noise induced hearing loss. Articles which report that Meniere's disease can be caused by Noise Induced Hearing Loss also have reported the onset of Meniere's disease to be years after the noise exposure. Paparella (1983) described this association both in articles and text books. He reported three patients patients exposed to a sudden intense exposure of noise who later developed Meniere's disease years later. View Abstract. Ylikoski (1988) also reported Meniere's symptoms in 18 patients exposed to implosive noise in the military. All 18 patients had significant delay in symptoms between 6 and 29 years after the exposure. View Abstract

Segal, Eviatar, et. al. (2003) reviewed the records of 17,245 veterans who were disabled from acoustic trauma or noise induced hearing loss. Only eleven of the 17,245 patients appeared to have Meniere's disease. The average time of onset between the acute acoustic trauma and Meniere's disease was 15.8 years. The incidence was compatible with that of the general population. This article also give an excellent review of the literature and the statistical errors other authors have made in reaching their conclusions. View Abstract Go Back to Noise Induced Hearing Loss Page