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The Difference Between Hearing LOSS And Hearing FLUCTUATION

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When you are suffering from Meniere’s disease, hearing fluctuation and hearing loss can have some things in common, but they are not the same thing.

We all take hearing for granted UNTIL it isn’t so clear any longer. Hearing fluctuation and hearing loss are two of the more common symptoms of Meniere’s disease.

Below I am including a few websites to give you the science behind this, but for now, let’s simply accept the fact that when you can’t hear well, or not at all, something is going on and you want to fix that problem if possible.

Let me remind you that a healthy body has TWO hearing nerves, a left one and a right one. And also that few people have BOTH hearing nerves impacted the same way or at the same time.

What Is Hearing?

In a “normal” healthy body, you can hear or become aware of sounds clearly around you. You can expect to hear sounds that protect you (a siren) or give you joy (music). 

You do want to get some basic testing done. 

The most common test is done by your family practitioner who checks for ear wax.  Maybe you simply have a substantial amount of wax in your ears. Ear wax is a protective substance that lubricates the lining of the inner ear: it prevents bacteria or other foreign objects from entering your body.  

Your hearing can also be checked by an audiologist who measures and compares (if any) testing results. The measurement is compared to what a normal person should be able to hear. 

Lastly, if an easy cause is not apparent, an Ear Nose and Throat specialist (ENT) may be consulted.

Each health professional will offer their opinion (diagnosis), depending on their past experiences and training. As this is an opinion only, you are free to gather more opinions. 

  • WebMD; Hearing Loss – Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

In order to gather relevant, helpful ideas, you need to know the difference between hearing LOSS and hearing FLUCTUATION. 

In hearing LOSS, it is most often deemed to mean a permanent loss: no hearing or substantially-reduced hearing, and often a “low” tone distinction. Don’t get too caught up in the details, but in a Meniere’s disease diagnosis, I frequently hear about “low tone” hearing loss as a definitive indicator. 

(Keep in mind that everyone is trying to help you with their understanding.)

In hearing FLUCTUATION, your hearing comes and goes. For a minute, or a day, or a few hours, or a longer time. During this time, you can’t hear and then all of a suddenly your hearing comes back, just as clearly as before!! 

So what happened? 

Well some “situation” caused your hearing (auditory) nerve to NOT be able to receive any sounds, a blockage of some sort. For some people, it’s a “no sound” loss. For others it’s a muffled sound, faint, but you sense there is a sound. 

If you are in an audiologist’s testing lab, at this particular moment, you may not have any hearing, or you may hear, but not as clearly as usual. The point is that the hearing comes and goes. Fluctuating hearing does not have to be permanent. This is very hopeful. But why does it happen? There has to be a cause. I’ll mention my ideas a bit further on.

With hearing LOSS, sounds cannot reach or be handled by your normal nerve interpretation apparatus. For some reason, there is a block between the sound and your nervous system. Many people look at cochlear implants at this point. If you are interested in this idea, explore it. It becomes very clear as to what the actual receiving and interpretation choices “allow”. 

Diagnosing Hearing Fluctuation or Loss

The diagnosis of Meniere’s disease relies heavily on the hearing issue: tinnitus (the presence of abnormal sounds) and hearing fluctuation. In many instances, low tone hearing loss is included. The actual definitive diagnosis is the responsibility of the ENT specialist, using specific criteria.

My point is that once you consider any possible cause, any possible cause, you are already looking ahead. You have pulled yourself away from defeat and acceptance toward a new life. Congratulations!  You are leaving behind this hopeless, dead-end, fear perspective of having to live like this “forever”. You now have ideas to consider and resources to explore regarding your unpleasant diagnosis. Start now: it’s never too late!

Possible Causes of Hearing Fluctuation or Hearing Loss

This is a huge issue, but I want you to know, scientifically, absolutely NOTHING happens in our bodies without a cause. NOTHING. you can count on that. No one may have considered a cause for Meniere’s disease, but it had to have shown up prior to what you experienced. Any change that shows up has to have a cause. So get used to looking for scientific facts. 

I searched main healthcare websites to document their facts about “hearing loss” or “hearing fluctuation” (if there was such a category). Here are two sites: I have also  listed all my finds regarding the websites and the list of causes on a separate page. 

A Few Common Possible Causes of Hearing Fluctuation and Loss

I also made a rather strange discovery. As I looked at specific drugs, rarely did I find a mention of hearing loss. If you have ever been on drugs, including diuretics, I strongly suggest you check

Internet list of main suspected causes for hearing issues: to be fair, I will list the possible causes and the Internet sites in alphabetical order.

  • Acoustic Neuroma or other growth
  • Bacterial or viral infections such as meningitis
  • Blockage in your ear caused by earwax buildup, swelling, cyst, 
  • Drugs 
  • Ear Infections (Otitis Media) 
  • Fluid in the middle ear
  • Head trauma
  • Conclusion

As you explore all of this, try to remember when you first noticed that your hearing changed. Try to think back to a date and a place when the change happened. Do not assume that aging is behind this. All of us will age slowly, but surely. Our hearing diminishes, but it doesn’t suddenly shut down.

  • If you would like a copy of our Meniere’s Disease Study Guide, please click here.  This guide is a step by step journey exploring your symptoms and what may be causing them.
  • If you would like more information on the system that David, and numerous others, have used, please click here; What Finally Worked.
  • If you have any health questions or concerns, please feel free to Contact Us and we will be happy to share our knowledge and ideas with you.

Karin Henderson, Retired Nurse

(604) 463-8666 – Pacific Standard Time