No one’s really certain what causes Meniere’s disease. But the effects are difficult to underestimate. Some prevalent symptoms of this condition are dizziness, vertigo, ringing in the ears, and hearing loss. Scientists aren’t really certain why, but for some reason, fluid can accumulate in the ears and this appears to be the underlying cause of Meniere’s disease.
So the question is: how can you address something that doesn’t appear to have a discernible cause? It’s a complex answer.
What exactly is Meniere’s disease?
There’s a chronic disorder that affects the inner ear and it’s called Meniere’s disease. Symptoms of Meniere’s will grow over time, for many individuals, because it’s a progressive disease. Those symptoms may include:
Unpredictable bouts of vertigo: Sadly, when these bouts of vertigo will strike and how long they will last can’t be predicted.
Tinnitus: The severity of this tinnitus may ebb and flow, but it’s not unusual for those with Meniere’s Disease to experience ringing in their ears.
Fullness in the ear: This symptom is medically known as aural fullness, the feeling of pressure in your ear.
Hearing loss: In the long run, Meniere’s disease can lead to a loss of hearing.
If you experience these symptoms, it’s essential to receive an accurate diagnosis. For many individuals with Meniere’s, symptoms are intermittent. But eventually, symptoms can become more consistent and noticeable.
Treatment for Menier’s disease
Meniere’s disease is a progressive and chronic condition which has no known cure. But there are a few ways to deal with the symptoms.
The following are some of those treatments:
- Rehabilitation: There are rehabilitation and physical therapy methods that can help you preserve balance when Meniere’s disease is acting up. If you’re perpetually dizzy or dealing with vertigo, this strategy might be warranted.
- Steroid shots: Some symptoms of Meniere’s, particularly vertigo, can be temporarily relieved with injections of specific steroids.
- Medications: In some instances, your physician will be prescribe anti-dizziness and anti-nausea medications. This can help when those specific symptoms occur. So, when a bout of dizziness happens, medication for motion sickness can help relieve that dizziness.
- Hearing aid: It may be time to try hearing aids if Meniere’s disease is advancing to the point where your ability to hear is faltering. Typically, a hearing aid won’t necessarily impede the advancement of your hearing loss. But it can help your mental health by keeping you socially active. Hearing aids can also help you deal with the symptoms of tinnitus in several ways.
- Diuretic: A diuretic is another medication alternative that may be prescribed by your doctor. The idea is that reducing the retention of fluids could help minimize pressure on your inner ear. This is a long-term medication that you’d take rather than one to reduce acute symptoms.
- Surgery: Occasionally, Meniere’s disease can be treated with surgery. However, these surgical techniques will normally only affect the vertigo part of symptoms. Other Meniere’s symptoms will continue.
- Positive pressure therapy: There’s a non-invasive method employed when Meniere’s is particularly challenging to treat. Positive pressure therapy is the medical name for this therapy. This therapy involves exposing the inner ear to positive pressure in order to limit fluid accumulation. Peer review has not, as of yet, confirmed the long-term benefits of this method but it does seem promising.
The key is getting the treatment that’s right for you
You should get checked out if suspect you may have Meniere’s disease. The advancement of Meniere’s disease might be slowed down by these treatments. More frequently, however, they reduce the effect that Meniere’s will have on your everyday life.