The cause of Meniere’s isn’t really understood. But the effects are difficult to ignore. Ringing in the ears, dizziness, vertigo, and hearing loss are all common symptoms of this condition. Symptoms of Meniere’s disease seem to stem from a buildup of fluid in the inner ear, but scientists aren’t really certain what causes that accumulation initially.
So the question is: if something doesn’t have an identifiable cause, how can it be addressed? The answer is, well, complicated.
What exactly is Meniere’s disease?
There’s a chronic disorder that impacts the inner ear and it’s known as Meniere’s disease. For many patients, Meniere’s disease is progressive, meaning symptoms will get worse over time. Here are some of those symptoms:
Unpredictable spells of vertigo: Regrettably, there’s no way to determine when these episodes of vertigo may strike or how long they will last.
Tinnitus: It’s fairly common for individuals 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: In the long run, Meniere’s disease can result in a loss of hearing.
It’s critical that you get the proper diagnosis if you’re experiencing these symptoms. For many individuals with Meniere’s, symptoms are irregular. But as the disease advances, the symptoms will most likely become more consistent.
How is Meniere’s disease treated?
There is no known cure for Menier’s disease which is chronic and progressive. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t any treatments.
Some of the most prevalent treatments include the following:
- Steroid shots: Injections of specific kinds of steroids can temporarily help relieve some Meniere’s symptoms, particularly in regards to vertigo.
- Positive pressure therapy: There’s a non-invasive technique used when Meniere’s is especially hard to treat. It’s called positive pressure therapy. This treatment involves exposing the inner ear to positive pressure in order to limit fluid buildup. While positive pressure therapy is encouraging, the long-term benefits of this approach have yet to be backed up by peer-reviewed research.
- Diuretic: A diuretic is another medication alternative that may be prescribed by your physician. The strategy is that decreasing the retention of fluids could help minimize pressure on your inner ear. This is a long-term medication that you’d use rather than one to reduce acute symptoms.
- Medications: Anti-nausea and anti-dizziness medications can be prescribed by your doctor in some cases. This can help when those particular symptoms occur. For example, medications created to help with motion sickness could help you feel less dizzy when a bout of vertigo happens.
- Rehabilitation: There are rehabilitation and physical therapy methods that can help you preserve balance when Meniere’s disease is acting up. This approach could be a useful approach if you’re experiencing frequent dizziness or vertigo.
- Hearing aid: It may be time to get hearing aids if Meniere’s disease is progressing to the point where your ability to hear is failing. Generally, a hearing aid won’t necessarily slow the advancement of your hearing loss. But it can benefit your mental health by keeping you socially active. Hearing aids can also help you deal with the symptoms of tinnitus in several ways.
- Surgery: In some cases, surgery is utilized to treat Meniere’s. However, these surgical techniques will generally only affect the vertigo part of symptoms. It won’t impact the other symptoms.
The key is getting the treatment that’s right for you
If you think you have Meniere’s disease, you should get examined. The advancement of Meniere’s disease may be slowed down by these treatments. More frequently, however, they minimize the impact that Meniere’s will have on your day-to-day life.