Meniere's Disease: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

Meniere's Disease is marked by moments of feeling dizzy, hearing loss that changes, ringing in the ears, and an ear that feels full. This problem is most common in people 20 to 50 years old, but anyone can have it.

Meniere's Disease: Key Symptoms

People with dizziness and Meniere's disease feel like the world is spinning and moving. It's not the same as being dizzy, and it can make you lose your balance and focus. Getting dizzy can last anywhere from 20 minutes to several hours. During these times, people may feel sick, throw up, or have trouble standing or walking. These episodes can happen at different times for different people.

A lot of people with Meniere's disease lose their hearing at first. But after an episode, their hearing may get better. But as time goes on, the loss may last longer. Most of the time, it only affects low frequencies at first. But as the disease gets worse, it may affect all frequencies. That's why hearing aids are important: hearing loss can make it hard to talk to people and connect with them.

Tinnitus, which means ringing in the ears, is another sign that someone has Meniere's disease. It could be a buzzing, ringing, or yelling sound that won't go away. Not being able to concentrate or sleep can be a bother when you have tinnitus. People can get help from sound treatment, guidance, and hearing aids that block noise.

There are times when your ear feels stuffed or full, like it's closed off. This might be because of extra fluid in the inner ear, which makes the other symptoms of Meniere's disease worse. It can hurt to feel full, and you may feel dizzy or lose your hearing at the same time or before the fullness.

Meniere's Disease: Causes and Risk Factors

Fluid that builds up in the inner ear in a strange way is thought to be the cause of Meniere's disease, but the exact cause is still unknown. The inner ear can't work properly because fluid has built up in it. This makes it hard to hear and keep your balance. You might be more likely to get Meniere's disease if someone in your family has had it. An autoimmune response is when the body's immune system attacks the inner ear. Some experts also believe that viruses may be to blame for the disease.

Meniere's Disease: Diagnosis

Tests and a clinical review are used together to identify Meniere's disease. Hearing tests tell people what kind of hearing loss they have and how bad it is. A balance test can include electronystagmography (ENG) or videonystagmography (VNG) to see how the eyes move and how well the vestibular system works. This shows how bad the balance problems are. To make sure the inner ear isn't hurt by anything else, MRI or CT scans are used.

Meniere's Disease: Treatment Options

People with Meniere's disease can't get better, but there are many things that can help them deal with their symptoms and live better lives. Some medicines, like diuretics, keep fluid from building up in the inner ear. Other medicines can help people who are having vertigo symptoms stop being sick and throwing up. Steroids can also be used to reduce fluid buildup and swelling.

Diet: Changing your diet, especially to one that is low in salt, can help you stop the buildup of fluid and make your symptoms better. Some people might also do better by cutting down on their coffee and alcohol usage. Vestibular therapy can be helpful. There are moves in it that can help you stay balanced and feel less dizzy. If you have tinnitus, hearing aids may help because some of them have tones that can help soothe your noise. If things get really bad, surgery like endolymphatic sac enlargement or cutting the hearing nerve might be considered.

Lifestyle Changes: People who have Meniere's disease have to take care of their symptoms with medicine, make changes to their lifestyle, and learn new ways to deal with stress. Following through with your treatment plans and going to all of your doctor visits is very important. You can get better by changing things about your life, like what you eat and how you deal with stress. To deal with the sickness, it can also be very helpful to get help from family, friends, and support groups.

Conclusion

People who have Meniere's disease have problems, but they can live full lives if they get the right care and help. A professional can help you figure out the best way to treat your Meniere's disease and make a plan for how to deal with your symptoms if you think you have them or are already having them.