Jessie J Shares New Update on Her Ménière's Disease Diagnosis

"Who You Are" singer Jessie J took to Instagram to provide a new health update on her struggles with Ménière's disease, a condition she was diagnosed with at a Los Angeles hospital over the Christmas period. The illness can cause nausea, vertigo, and other symptoms. 

The singer revealed in a new post that she had to seek medical help because she woke up feeling like she was "completely deaf in the right ear" and unable to "walk in a straight line." 

The singer revealed in a recent Instagram Live — which was edited into a short video she posted on Instagram on Monday, Dec. 28, 2020, — that she had to go to an "ear hospital" on Christmas Eve. As Jessie explained, she didn't require extended hospitalization.

"It just threw me off ... like ... on Christmas Eve, I was literally in the ear hospital, going, 'What is going on?' ... Never said I was hospitalized," she said. 

She had to seek treatment for symptoms including a loss of balance and sudden hearing loss in the right ear. She received a diagnosis quickly, and she was put on medication. 

"I'm grateful I went early, and, you know, they worked out what it was real quick ... I got put on the right medicine, and I feel much better today," Jessie said. 

"I've just been laying low in silence. That's the first time I've been able to sing and actually bare it. You can hear I'm not very good at singing loud yet," she added. 

"I just miss singing so much ... and being around anyone," she added. 

In an Instagram post shared on Friday, Dec. 25, 2020, the singer stated that she also struggled with staying focused and that her "my ear [sounded] like someone crawled in and turned a hairdryer on." 

According to the Mayo Clinic, Ménière's disease typically affects one ear. As a disorder of the inner ear, the most common symptoms it causes include vertigo and hearing difficulties. 

An episode usually begins with feeling pressure in the ear, which tends to be followed by tinnitus, hearing loss, and vertigo, per Healthy Hearing. These can last anywhere between 20 minutes to 24 hours, and these symptoms can make it harder for those diagnosed with the illness to continue with their day-to-day tasks. People living with the condition might undergo episodes in clusters, with long periods of remission.

Ménière's disease can cause hearing loss, including a reduced ability to hear low-pitched sounds or increased sensitivity toward higher-pitched sounds. Those living with the condition may experience fluctuating hearing loss. Those with late-stage Ménière's disease are likely to struggle with more severe tinnitus, hearing loss, and unsteady balance. Hoping Jessie J makes a swift recovery!