The cause of Meniere’s is not really understood. But it’s hard to dismiss its impact. Some common symptoms of this affliction are vertigo, dizziness, ringing in the ears, and hearing loss. Symptoms of Meniere’s disease appear to stem from a buildup of fluid in the inner ear, but researchers aren’t really certain what causes that accumulation initially.
So the question is: how can you address something that doesn’t seem to have a discernible cause? It’s a complex answer.
Exactly what is Meniere’s disease?
Meniere’s disease is a chronic disorder that affects the inner ear. For many individuals, Meniere’s disease is progressive, meaning symptoms will get worse over time. Those symptoms could include:
Unpredictable spells of vertigo: Regrettably, there’s no way to know when these episodes of vertigo will occur 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 symptom is medically referred to as aural fullness, the feeling of pressure in your ear.
Hearing loss: Meniere’s disease can lead to hearing loss over time.
If you notice these symptoms, it’s necessary to receive a definitive diagnosis. For many individuals with Meniere’s, symptoms are intermittent. But as the disease advances, the symptoms will likely become more persistent.
How is Meniere’s disease treated?
There is no known cure for Menier’s disease which is persistent and progressive. But there are some ways to manage the symptoms.
Some of the most prevalent treatments include the following:
- Rehabilitation: When Meniere’s disease is acting up, You can apply certain physical therapies that can help with balance. This approach could be a useful technique if you’re experiencing frequent dizziness or vertigo.
- Positive pressure therapy: There’s a non-invasive approach used when Meniere’s is particularly hard to manage. It’s called positive pressure therapy. In order to limit fluid accumulation, the inner ear is exposed to positive pressure. While positive pressure therapy is promising, the long-term benefits of this method have not been borne out by peer-reviewed studies.
- Surgery: In some situations, surgery is utilized to address Meniere’s. However, these surgical techniques will normally only impact the vertigo side of symptoms. It won’t impact the other symptoms.
- Medications: Anti-nausea and anti-dizziness medications can be prescribed by your doctor in some situations This can be helpful when those particular symptoms appear. For instance, medications created to help with motion sickness could help you feel less dizzy when a bout of vertigo occurs.
- 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. 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 engaged. Hearing aids can also help you manage the symptoms of tinnitus in a number of ways.
- Steroid shots: Injections of certain kinds of steroids can temporarily help relieve some Meniere’s symptoms, particularly in regards to vertigo.
- Diuretic: A diuretic is another medication alternative that may be prescribed by your physician. The strategy is that decreasing the retention of fluids might help minimize pressure on your inner ear. This is a long-term medication that you’d take rather than one to minimize extreme symptoms.
Get the right treatment for you
You should get checked out if think you might have Meniere’s disease. Treatments for Meniere’s can sometimes reduce the progression of your condition. But these treatments more frequently help you have a greater quality of life despite your condition.