Huey Lewis managing Meniere’s Disease with positivity

Veteran rocker Huey Lewis is maintaining a “positive attitude” about his battle with Meniere’s disease in the hopes of overcoming the inner ear condition to return to the stage.
The Huey Lewis and the News frontman had to cancel all 2018 tour dates last month (Apr18) to avoid the risk of losing his hearing for good, after revealing he had been diagnosed with the chronic condition, which causes symptoms including vertigo and tinnitus.
The singer first noticed a problem with his hearing as he prepared to perform in Dallas, Texas earlier this year (18).
“As I walked to the stage, it sounded like there was a jet engine going on,” Huey recalled on breakfast show Today. “I knew something was wrong. I couldn’t find pitch. It was distorted. Nightmare… It’s cacophony.”
He has been working with officials at the Starkey Hearing Foundation to try and find a solution to his health issue, and in the meantime, he has amended his diet at the advice of his doctors.
“The bad news about Meniere’s is that they (medics) don’t know what it is,” he explained. “It’s a syndrome based on symptoms, and it affects people differently. All they can come up with as treatment is diet. No caffeine, lower salt and keep your fingers crossed.”
There is no cure for the ailment, but some sufferers have experienced improvement in their hearing over time, and the musician is hopeful he will be one of them.
“The good news is, it can get better. It just hasn’t yet,” Huey added. “I haven’t come to grips with the fact that I may never sing again. I’m still hoping I’m gonna get better. They say a positive attitude is important.”
“Even though I can hear you, I can talk, but I can’t sing,” the 67-year-old told Today show co-host Jenna Bush Hager. “I can’t hear music, so I can do everything but what I love to do the most, which is a drag.”
Huey isn’t alone in battling Meniere’s. Shortly after announcing the tour cancellation, fellow sufferer Ryan Adams reached out to Lewis to wish him well in his recovery.
“Good sir, you hang in there,” he tweeted. “Menieres (sic) is a tough ride at first. It’s confusing & hard to explain to others, as they cannot see it. BUT you will rise above it and be better than ever.”