Considerations
Cochlear only disease: affect the hearing and the assessment may be undertaken according to the hearing impairment guidelines.
Cochlear and, or Vestibular apparatus disease: Those are conditions that may manifest with vertigo or balance problems. They include Meniere’s disease, vestibular or acoustic neuritis, benign positional paroxysmal vertigo (BPPV), vestibular migraines and perilymph fistula. Conditions that affect the vestibular apparatus including alternobaric trauma are all of concern to flight safety.
Information to be provided
- An ENT specialist report should be provided on the first occasion that inner ear disease, other than symmetrical sensori-neural hearing loss, is identified;
- Other tests reports as recommended by the ENT specialist;
- Relevant audiometry investigations should also be provided. Refer to Hearing impairment;
- Upon subsequent applications an ENT specialist reports should be provided for conditions that may progress.
Disposition
- An applicant with a history of inner disease affecting the cochlea only, as diagnosed by an ENT specialist, and who has a hearing impairment that is not of aeromedical significance, may be assessed as having a condition that is not of aeromedical significance;
- An applicant with suspected or confirmed Meniere’s disease should be assessed as having a condition that is of aeromedical significance;
- An applicant with a suspected or confirmed history of Schwannoma should be assessed as having a condition that is of aeromedical significance;
- An applicant with a history of Benign Positional Paroxysmal Vertigo, as diagnosed by an ENT specialist, should be assessed as having a condition that is of aeromedical significance unless the condition was a single event, has fully resolved and has not recurred for a period of 12 months;
- An applicant with a history of vestibular neuritis, as diagnosed by an ENT specialist, should be assessed as having a condition that is of aeromedical significance unless the condition has fully resolved, and has not recurred for a period of 12 months.
- If there is any doubt about the diagnosis, or if no specialist report is available, those conditions should be assessed as being of aeromedical significance.
