No one’s really sure what causes Meniere’s disease. But the effects are hard to dismiss. Some prevalent symptoms of this disorder are vertigo, dizziness, ringing in the ears, and hearing loss. Symptoms of Meniere’s disease appear to come from a buildup of fluid in the inner ear, but researchers aren’t really certain what causes that buildup to begin with.
So the question is: how can you address something that doesn’t seem to have an identifiable cause? It’s a complicated answer.
What exactly is Meniere’s disease?
There’s a chronic affliction that affects the inner ear and it’s called Meniere’s disease. For many patients, Meniere’s disease is progressive, meaning symptoms will grow worse as time passes. Those symptoms may include:
Unpredictable bouts of vertigo: Regrettably, there’s no way to know when these attacks of vertigo will occur or how long they will last.
Tinnitus: It’s fairly common for people with Meniere’s disease to have ringing in the ears or tinnitus, which can range from mild to severe.
Fullness in the ear: This manifests as a feeling of pressure in your ears and is medically called aural fullness.
Hearing loss: Over time, Meniere’s disease can cause a loss of hearing.
If you experience these symptoms, it’s essential to receive an accurate diagnosis. Symptoms of Meniere’s disease can come and go for many people. But as the disease progresses, the symptoms will probably become more regular.
Treatment for Menier’s disease
There is no known cure for Menier’s disease which is persistent and progressive. But there are some ways to manage the symptoms.
The following are some of those treatments:
- Steroid shots: Some symptoms of Meniere’s, particularly vertigo, can be temporarily alleviated with injections of certain steroids.
- Surgery: Occasionally, Meniere’s disease can be treated with surgery. Normally, however, only the vertigo part of the disease is impacted by this surgery. It won’t impact the other symptoms.
- Hearing aid: It might be time to get hearing aids if Meniere’s disease is advancing to the point where your ability to hear is failing. 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 engaged. Hearing aids can also help you control the symptoms of tinnitus in a number of ways.
- Medications: In some cases, your physician will be able to prescribe anti-dizziness and anti-nausea medications. If those particular symptoms manifest, this can be helpful. So, when a bout of dizziness occurs, medication for motion sickness can help alleviate that dizziness.
- Positive pressure therapy: There’s a non-invasive method employed when Meniere’s is particularly difficult to treat. It’s known as positive pressure therapy. In order to minimize fluid accumulation, the inner ear is subjected to positive pressure. While positive pressure therapy is promising, the long-term advantages of this method have not been backed up by peer-reviewed studies.
- Diuretic: A diuretic is another medication alternative that might be prescribed by your doctor. The concept here is that the pressure in the inner ear can be minimized by decreasing retention of fluid. This is a long-term medication that you’d use instead of one to reduce acute symptoms.
- Rehabilitation: There are rehabilitation and physical therapy strategies that can help you preserve balance when Meniere’s disease is flaring up. This approach could be a useful approach if you’re experiencing frequent dizziness or vertigo.
The key is getting the treatment that’s right for you
You should get an exam if think you might have Meniere’s disease. Treatments for Meniere’s can sometimes slow the advancement of your condition. But these treatments more often help you have a better quality of life despite your condition.