What is Autoimmune Ear Disease (AIED)?
Autoimmune ear disease (AIED) is a type of hearing loss where your body's immune system attacks the inner ear. This can lead to your hearing getting worse, often in both ears. AIED may affect only the ears or may be part of a broader autoimmune condition.
What are the symptoms?
Signs that you may have an autoimmune disease include fatigue (feeling very tired), a mild fever, swelling and pain in your muscles and joints, a rash on your body.
There are no specific ear symptoms for this condition. This means the same symptoms are often present with other causes of hearing loss:
- Progressive hearing loss. This is hearing loss which gets worse over time. It can affect one or both ears. The hearing loss can’t be explained by glue ears.
- Fluctuating hearing. Your hearing keeps getting worse, then improving, then getting worse again.
- You have ringing or buzzing sounds in your ears (called tinnitus).
- You have dizziness or balance problems
How is the condition diagnosed?
There is no direct test for AIED. All other causes of hearing loss, such as glue ear or blocked ear canals, need to be ruled out first. This is done by examining the ear and using hearing tests, blood tests and scans. If the doctors cannot find any other cause for your hearing loss, AIED remains one possible cause. In this case, you will be started on treatment.
If you or your child has sudden, severe hearing loss in both ears, this must be treated urgently. Please call NHS 111 or go to an Urgent Care Centre immediately if you or your child has sudden, severe hearing loss.
How is the condition treated?
Treatment for AIED aims to block the overactive immune system with steroid tablets. In some cases, the medicine is applied directly through a grommet.
Other immunosuppressant medicines can be prescribed by a specialist doctor called a rheumatologist if steroids are not helpful. Rheumatologists are joint specialists who treat autoimmune conditions using different types of medicines.
Hearing aids can be used to help with hearing loss.
Disclaimer: This publication is designed for the information of patients. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, the information contained may not be comprehensive and patients should not act upon it without seeking professional advice.