Some patients report that when the weather changes so does their hearing, vertigo or related symptoms, particularly those with diagnosed Meniere’s Disease. If you see patients this is a relatively common complaint. Could this be possible? Was it a coincidence? 
Could it be that it be the high pressure or low pressure in weather systems trigger some changes in the auditory mechanism that affect hearing and/or the progression of certain hearing disorders? While there is not a lot of literature on this topic, there are anecdotal episodes of patients that swear there are changes.
Patient #1
“I was just diagnosed with Meniere’s a few months ago. My symptoms started one at a time until vertigo hit me last May…what fun! I live in Georgia and our weather and pressure changes frequently. I also get the the fullness in the ears feeling as well as making me really off balance and just feeling “not right”, almost like I’ve been on a boat and haven’t gotten my “land legs” back yet. I don’t get headaches but I get awful earaches”.
Patient #2
“The big one I’m noticing now that spring is trying to arrive is weather changes. Everytime there’s a drastic weather change, I start getting dizzy, tired and groggy. If the shift is big enough, as happened earlier this week, I end up home and in bed trying to sleep it off because I’m good for nothing else.”
Patient #3
“Since Sue acquired Meniere’s Disease August has been a month to avoid as, for the past 10 years, the change in air pressure has brought on severe spin and drop attacks for Sue. It’s not quite as bad as it was, but the threat is always there and August’s sudden and dramatic weather fronts bring barometric changes that can put Sue (literally) on the floor.”
And on, and on……
Since the earliest written record of hearing loss dates from 1550 BC in Ancient Egypt.
The Ebers Papyrus offers a remedy for ‘Ear-That-Hears-Badly’ consisting of the injection of olive oil, red lead, ant eggs, bat wings and goat urine into the ears. Since the references to the deaf date back that far we expected some correlations with weather and hearing loss and other disorders documented through the ages, but there is not much that discusses this topic and only scanty studies.
The studies attempting to correlate weather related incidents with hearing loss and hearing disorders are mostly are European. Some of these studies demonstrate correlations with hearing disorders and
others offer no correlation at all. Mees et al (1984) felt that in the 1980s it had been shown that atmospherics of different frequencies correlated with the onset of epileptic seizures and myocardial infarctions which tickled their interest in the weather related hearing loss. In their study of more than 500 patients with acute hearing loss residing in the Munich area, a statistically significant correlation to atmospherics was established.
Another study, et al (1987), looked at the possible relationship between the weather and Bell’s palsy, acute unilateral vestibular disorder, Ménière’s disease, and sudden deafness. They found that these 
diseases did occur more often at times of low barometric pressure and their study offered convincing data for situations where a stable high pressure zone is followed by a strong low, creating comparatively great pressure differences. Conclusive evidence could not be obtained for unilateral vestibular disorders. But they found evidence that Bell’s palsy, sudden deafness and Ménière’s disease occurred more often when there was an influence of the warm side of the low pressure zone.
Another German study by Preyer (1996) attempted to correlate the incidence, the extent, and the remission of sudden idiopathic hearing loss of 128 patients with atmospheric pressure and temperature over a period of 12 months. Preyer found no statistical correlation of sudden hearing loss with absolute values or relative changes in atmospheric air pressure or temperature and no seasonal dependence.
Danielides et al (2002) looked at climatic or meteorological changes and idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSHL). They considered the seasonal distribution of ISSHL and evaluated the influence of meteorological parameters (such as temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure), their variation and covariation on the incidence of the 82 cases of ISSHL in northwestern Greece. Their findings were that Meteorological conditions, such as those dominating in the Northwestern Greece, and/or their changes, had no proven effect on the incidence of ISSHL.
Epilog
Although weather related correlations have escaped researchers for many auditory, vestibular and facial nerve disorders, it appears that is rather well known, almost common knowledge, that Menière’s patients are sensitive to changes in weather. While there does not seem to be recent studies into this phenomenon, it is logical that weather could play an important role in generating active symptoms. Since the disorder is thought to be related to increased fluid pressure in the membranous labyrinth is very sensitive to barometric pressure changes. For this reason, spring and fall when the weather changes the most drastically, tend to be “bad seasons” for those with Meniere’s Disease.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Interesting comment from a reader today (2-25-2016) on this post……”Atmospheric pressure changes alter the tenacity of the pars flaccida, which in turn, affect the high frequency output from the TM to the malleus bone. Low pressure changes also cause air density changes which affect the speed of sound propagation at all points. Dizziness adds to the symptoms expressed at the pars flaccida, that mimics Meniere’s. HF distortion is also a by product of air pressure changes. The pressure change within the ME cavity is further affected by patulous Eustachian tube changes, and change sounds to echoic, or hollow within the ossicles. Such variations add to the dilemma of the hearing aid wearer. Hearing aid outputs never change, but physiologic changes in the ME cavity are the reason for many hearing aid returns.”
While there was not supportive documentation for these comments, they do offer some very logical points relative to atmospheric pressure effects on the hearing and balance mechanism.
References:
Danielides, V., Nousia, C., Bartzokas, A., Lolis, C., Kateri, M., & Skevas, A. (2002). Weather conditions and sudden sensorineural hearing loss. BMC Ear Nose Throat Disord. 2:2. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
Wetterlage und Häufigkeit yon idiopathischen Fazialisparesen, Vestibularisausfällen, Ménière-Anfällen und Hörstürzen (Weather and Incidence of Bell’s Palsy, Acute Unilateral Vestibular Disorder, Ménière’s Disease and Sudden Deafness) Laryngo-Rhino-Otol. 66(5): 249-250. Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart, New York. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
Mees, K , Ruhenstroth-Bauer, G. ,Sandhagen, R. , H. Baumer & Filipiak, B. (1987). Der idiopathische Hörsturz – wetterabhängig? Laryngo-Rhino-Otol. 66(5): 246-248. Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart, New York. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
Preyer, S (1996). Der Einfluß des Wetters auf die Hörsturzinzidenz (The influence of Weather on the Incidence of Sudden Idiopathic Hearing Loss) Laryngo-Rhino-Otol. 75(8): 443-446. Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart, New York. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
Images:
Casasanta, A. (2014). Are you a barometric pressure headache sufferer? Andy Casasanta. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
New World Encyclopedia (2011). Ebers Papyrus. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
Scienerf (2012). Brain Overload people. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
Vogler, M. (2012). My bucket list#2-Germany. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
Atmospheric pressure changes alter the tenacity of the pars flaccida, which in turn affects the high frequency output from the TM to the malleus bone. Low pressure changes also cause air density changes which affect the speed of sound propagation at all points.
Dizziness adds to the symptoms expressed at the pars flaccida, that mimics Meniere’s. HF distortion is also a by product of air pressure changes.The pressure change within the ME cavity is further affected by patulous Eustachian tube changes, and change sounds to echoic, or hollow within the ossicles. Such variations add to the dilemma of the hearing aid wearer. Hearing aid outputs never change, but physiologic changes in the ME cavity are the reason for many hearing aid returns.