Sensory, Neuroscience, Ageing, Pain and Psychiatry Research
Burden of disease
Meniere’s disease patients hope for new treatments in their lifetime When Cecilia Ojeda was first diagnosed with Meniere’s disease 20 years ago, she had never heard of the condition. It is a rare inner ear disease associated with hearing loss, vertigo and debilitating tinnitus. There is currently no cure with treatment largely aimed at managing symptoms. Cecilia has suffered from vertigo for most her life, and when she was just 10 years old she was taken to hospital and diagnosed with epilepsy. She received medications and treatments for that condition for many years. But after further diagnostic testing in Sydney, she was diagnosed with Meniere’s disease. It has had a far reaching impact on her life. She experiences frequent dizziness, vertigo as well as tinnitus (ringing in the ears). Cecilia was forced to leave her job in quality control. She cannot drive, and is often at risk of falling, which means it is difficult for her to care for her grandchildren. Her condition is exacerbated by hot weather and noise. “The world is too loud for me,” she said. “It’s too colourful and it is too crowded,” she said. “Even if I am lying down, I feel like I am falling, and I have felt like this for most of my life. “My hearing is ok if everything is quiet, but the constant tinnitus is very difficult to live with. “My fear is falling and my knees are bad from many falls. It seems like I am drunk, but I experience what is called a drop-attack, which sometimes happens out of the blue, and I suddenly fall to the ground.”
Australia is ageing rapidly: by 2026, more than 22% of Australians will be aged over 65 (up from 16% in 2020)
Dementia is the leading cause of death for Australian women, and second most common cause of death for men
Almost half of all Australian adults will face mental ill-health during their lives and suicide was the main cause of death for Australians aged 15 to 49 years in 2019
Chronic pain affects 3.4 million Australians
40% of early retirement is due to chronic pain issues.
22 Kolling Institute Health Research Strategy 2026-2030
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