Meniere's disease is an incurable condition thought to be caused by a build up of fluid in the inner ear resulting in varying and fluctuating levels of vertigo or dizziness, tinnitus and hearing loss.
Symptoms and characteristics:
Meniere’s disease either develops slowly with gradual hearing loss, or suddenly with a vertigo attack. Attacks can vary from minutes to hours in length, with people commonly experiencing a feeling of unsteadiness and hearing loss post attack. Meniere's disease can affect either one or both ears and often as the disease progresses, the episodes of vertigo lessen, with the hearing loss becoming more severe.
The symptoms of Meniere’s disease include:
- loss of balance or unsteadiness from dizziness (vertigo) which may result in vomiting and diarrhoea
- tinnitus or ringing in the ears which may vary in volume, frequency and intensity
- hearing loss usually in the low frequencies which results in muffled or unclear hearing of sounds
- ear fullness or a sensation that the ear is under pressure and close to bursting
- sensitivity to noise.
Workplace adjustments and solutions:
In the workplace there are various factors that would assist people with meniere’s disease to better manage their symptoms. These include changes to work tasks and the environment, such as:
- if working within a noisy work environment, consideration given to noise suppression or isolation techniques to reduce exposure
- wearing of hearing protection such as ear muffs or plugs to reduce exposure to noise
- use of white noise machines to assist with blocking out tinnitus
- consider the use of specialised equipment such as telephone amplification, visual or vibrate fire or alert systems, or assistive listening devices which can help in group situations such as training rooms, staff rooms or conferences
- consider workload management techniques to reduce stress levels as evidence suggests stress can exacerbate tinnitus
- due to periods of vertigo or unsteadiness as well as tinnitus, consideration will need to be given to safety when driving, working with machinery or when working at heights such as on ladders or scaffolding
- if experiencing hearing loss as well as tinnitus, modifying workstation set up to ensure individuals are able to work facing colleagues or entry ways will allow for the use of visual cues to compensate for loss of hearing
- when discussing task requirements for the day or other important information, ensure it is done in a quiet environment to maximise an individuals capacity to hear the information
- look directly at the person when communicating to enable them to use a range of cues to overcome tinnitus hearing loss, such as facial expressions, body language or lip reading
- use of text messaging, msn messaging or email facilities for communication as alternative options
- use of subtitles or captions on training videos and the presentation of important workplace information in other formats besides verbal.
Employers of people with disability may be eligible for free workplace assessments and modifications through the Workplace Modifications Scheme. The Workplace Modification Scheme pays for the costs involved in modifying the workplace or purchasing special equipment for employees with disability. To determine eligibility, please refer to the full guidelines:
(Meniere’s Resource and Information Centre 2008; Better Health Channel 2007; MDA Internet 2005-2008).
There are solutions and adjustments for the following job requirements:
References:
Better Health Channel 2007, Meniere’s disease, State Government of Victoria, Melbourne, viewed 19 February 2009, <http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Menieres_disease?open>.
MDA Internet 2005, Reed Group Ltd, Colorado, viewed 28 March 2007, <http://www.mdainternet.com (secure site)>.
Meniere’s Resource and Information Centre 2008, What is Meniere’s disease?, Meniere’s Support Group of Victoria, Inc., Melbourne, viewed 19 February 2009, <http://www.menieres.org.au/whatis.htm>.