A Clear Guide to Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease
Professional Care for Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease
Autoimmune inner ear disease can cause fluctuating hearing loss, tinnitus, or imbalance as the immune system affects inner ear structures. For many people, symptoms respond well to early treatment. Rapidly worsening hearing, symptoms affecting both ears, severe vertigo, neurological changes, or sudden hearing loss require urgent audiovestibular medicine assessment and specialist care.
Immune-Related Hearing Changes
An Overview of Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease
Autoimmune inner ear disease is a rare condition where the body's immune system mistakenly targets structures within the inner ear. This immune response can interfere with hearing and balance by causing inflammation that affects how sound and movement signals are processed. Symptoms often develop over weeks rather than years and may fluctuate, making them feel unpredictable.
The condition commonly affects both ears, though not always at the same time. Hearing changes may progress if untreated, but early recognition allows timely medical intervention. Autoimmune inner ear disease may occur on its own or alongside other autoimmune conditions. Our clinicians' care focuses on identifying immune-driven activity and protecting inner ear function as early as possible.
Pinpointing the Cause
Diagnosing Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease
When to Get Checked
Autoimmune inner ear disease can change rapidly, so recognising when symptoms warrant prompt review is essential to protecting hearing and balance.
You should get assessed if hearing worsens over days or weeks, affects both ears, fluctuates, or is accompanied by tinnitus, vertigo, ear fullness, neurological symptoms, facial weakness, visual changes, or if you have a known autoimmune disease, systemic symptoms, or poor response to initial treatment that continues, progresses, or causes functional difficulty with daily activities significantly.
How We Assess Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease
The experts at Harley AVM focus on understanding the pattern and pace of symptoms. We take time to study how hearing and balance have changed, whether symptoms fluctuate, and how they relate to immune history, systemic illness, medications, or previous responses to treatment. This detailed history is central to recognising immune-driven inner ear involvement and guiding next steps.
Examinations are tailored to the individual and may include pure-tone audiometry, speech audiometry, speech-in-noise testing, tympanometry, acoustic reflex threshold testing, eustachian tube function assessment, and otoacoustic emissions. All findings are reviewed with our senior audiovestibular clinician to ensure results are interpreted within the full clinical and immunological context.
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DIAGNOSTIC TESTS
Specialist Tests to Assess Hearing, Balance and Inner Ear Health
Harley Street Specialists in Hearing, Dizziness & Balance
Specialist Care for Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease
Every Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease case is different. Your consultant will create a tailored plan to address your specific symptoms and lifestyle – when it started, how it affects your day, and which tests and treatments are right for you.