The condition known as Meniere’s disease damages the inner ear. Hearing and balance are functions of the inner ear. Vertigo and a spinning sensation are symptoms of the illness. It also causes a ringing sound in the ear and difficulties with hearing.
One ear is often impacted by Meniere’s illness. Bilateral Meniere’s, on the other hand, may be very impairing for the patient, and be tough to identify.
Some patients may initially have only one damaged ear. However with time, it may spread to both. Although Meniere’s disease is a chronic condition, symptoms can be lessened with medication and lifestyle modifications.
Causes
An increase in fluid in the inner ear’s tubes, specifically the endolymphatic sac and the membranous labyrinth, is referred to as Meniere’s disease.
Although the exact causes are unknown, autoimmune illness, allergies, and heredity are some hypothesized explanations.
- Viral infections
- Fluid in the inner ear
- Genetic factors
- Narrowing of blood vessels
- Allergic reactions or autoimmune conditions ( When your immune system mistakenly attacks your body tissue )
Risk factor
- Smoking
- Stress
- Head injury
- Family history
- Autoimmune disorders
- Sex (Female may have a slightly higher risk than males)
- Age (most common in people between the ages of 40 and 60.
Symptoms
- Headaches
- Loss of balance
- Vertigo, with attacks lasting anywhere from a few minutes to 24 hours
- Drop attacks along with potential trauma from a fall
- Nausea ,vomiting
- Sweating
- Tinnitus
- Aural fullness or the feeling that the ear is full
- Loss of hearing in the affected ear
- Sensitivity to sound
Someone with Meniere’s disease will experience at least two to three of the following symptoms at one time:
- Tinnitus
- Vertigo
- Hearing loss
- Aural fullness
Diagnosis
- Hearing loss confirmed by a hearing test
- Hearing tests (audiometry)
- Balance tests ( ENG)
- Video head impulse test (vHIT)
- Electrocochleography
- Rotary chair testing
- Vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP)
- Computerized Dynamic Posturography (CDP)
Treatment
- Physical therapy
- Dietary changes
- Hearing aids
- Stress reduction
Middle ear injections
- Vertigo symptoms can be eased by doctors injecting certain drugs into the middle ear can inject some medications into the middle ear to improve symptoms of vertigo.
These medications include steroids like dexamethasone and the antibiotic gentamicin.
Medicine for vertigo
Doctors may recommend different types of drugs for vertigo. The options include:
- Drugs for nausea
- Motion sickness drugs
- Diuretics: These drugs reduce fluid retention in the body .
Surgery
Surgical options include:
- Labyrinthectomy
- Vestibular nerve section
- Endolymphatic sac decompression
- Vestibular rehabilitation therapy
Positive pressure treatment
Food and Drug Administration (FDA): This device releases small pulse of air pressure into the middle ear. These pulses seem to interact with the fluid inside the ear to reduce dizziness.
Preventions
- Manage stress
- Reduce salt
- Limit caffeine, alcohol and tobacco
- Get enough sleep
- Avoid allergy triggers
- Exercise regularly
- TRAK (thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor antibodies) symptoms
- Quit smoking
Complication
- Tinnitus
- Hearing loss
- Ear pain
- Mental health condition
- Vertigo
- Balance disorder
- Serious falls
- Nausea
- Dizziness
“The condition known as Meniere’s disease damages the inner ear. Hearing and balance are functions of the inner ear.”
