Ruth Wilson


Meniereā€™s Disease is a highly complex illness with no cure and no known causes. 

It is not fatal but ruins lives all the same. 

It affects the inner ear and causes a severe disruption in balance, hearing, and quality of life.


Violent and unpredictable  ā€˜attacksā€™ of rotational vertigo, pressure and fullness in the affected ear, distorted sounds and  progressive hearing loss. All invisible, hidden in your body.

Vomiting, confusion,  cognitive impairment (brain fog), fatigue, anxiety, and depression - that is seen and not understood.


Significantly isolated and fearful the quality of life; living with Meniereā€™s patient is comparable to adults with life-threatening illnesses. 

During periods of acute vertigo, quality of life dropped considerably further  on par with non-institutionalized Alzheimerā€™s patients as well as with Cancer  patients, six days from death.



Meniereā€™s Disease - My Life


From the first attack, scared and confused, life became shaped by fear. An unpredictable ā€˜malfunctioning merry-go-roundā€™ spinning faster than the speed of light. 

Each day ā€¦ negotiating the unsettling sensations of personal and public transport, navigating the ā€˜sensory overloadā€™ of routine places, socialising with distorted hearing and intense exhaustion.

Meniereā€™s Disease  - Invisible,  Embarrassing. Difficult  to Explain. Disabling and dangerous.  Isolating and life limiting. 

10 years following my diagnosis ā€¦ my Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) surgeon asked me if I was ā€œprepared to live the rest of my life like this?ā€ 


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