Hearing threshold measurement in Menière's disease.

The hearing thresholds of 21 subjects with a typical history of Menière's disease on one side were determined four times by Békésy audiometry at fixed frequencies (250, 500, 1 000 and 2 000 Hz). The reliability of the hearing thresholds was calculated and no differences could be found between the Menière ear and the unaffected ear. A considerable increase in standard deviation of hearing thresholds could be noted if the middle ear pressure varied more than +/- 50 mm H2O between the tests. The results showed that with Békésy audiometry a 7-dB increase or decrease in hearing thresholds reflects a significant change in hearing in Menière's disease.