The cause of Meniere’s is not really understood. But it’s difficult to ignore its effects. Ringing in the ears, dizziness, vertigo, and hearing loss are all typical symptoms of this disease. Symptoms of Meniere’s disease appear to come from a buildup of fluid in the inner ear, but scientists aren’t really sure what causes that buildup initially.
So here’s the question: how can you deal with something that doesn’t appear to have an identifiable cause? The answer is, well, complex.
What exactly is Meniere’s disease?
There’s a persistent condition that affects the inner ear and it’s called Meniere’s disease. For many people, Meniere’s disease is progressive, meaning symptoms will grow worse as time passes. Those symptoms may include:
Unpredictable spells of vertigo: Regrettably, there’s no way to tell when these episodes of vertigo will occur or how long they will last.
Tinnitus: It’s relatively common for individuals with Meniere’s disease to experience 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 referred to as aural fullness.
Hearing loss: Eventually, Meniere’s disease can result in a loss of hearing.
If you notice these symptoms, it’s crucial to get a definitive diagnosis. For many people with Meniere’s, symptoms are irregular. But as time passes, symptoms can become more consistent and obvious.
Treatment for Menier’s disease
There is no known cure for Menier’s disease which is chronic and progressive. But there are some ways to deal with the symptoms.
Some of the most common treatments include the following:
- Diuretic: A diuretic is another medication alternative that might be prescribed by your physician. The idea 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 acute symptoms.
- Hearing aid: As Meniere’s disease advances and your hearing loss gets worse, you might want to get a hearing aid. The advancement of your hearing loss won’t necessarily be slowed by hearing aids. But it can benefit your mental health by keeping you socially engaged. There are also several ways hearing aids can help manage tinnitus.
- Positive pressure therapy: There’s a non-invasive method employed when Meniere’s is especially challenging to treat. Positive pressure therapy is the medical term for this treatment. This therapy involves subjecting the inner ear to positive pressure in order to limit fluid buildup. Peer review has not, as of yet, verified the long-term advantages of this method but it does seem promising.
- Surgery: Sometimes, Meniere’s disease can be addressed with surgery. However, these surgical techniques will generally only affect the vertigo side of symptoms. It won’t affect the other symptoms.
- Rehabilitation: There are rehabilitation and physical therapy strategies that can help you preserve balance when Meniere’s disease is acting up. If you’re regularly dizzy or dealing with vertigo, this approach might be warranted.
- Medications: In some situations, your physician will be prescribe anti-dizziness and anti-nausea medications. If those specific symptoms appear, this can be helpful. For example, medications made to help with motion sickness may help you feel less dizzy when a bout of vertigo occurs.
- Steroid shots: Injections of specific types of steroids can temporarily help relieve some Meniere’s symptoms, particularly in regards to vertigo.
The key is getting the treatment that’s right for you
You should get an exam if suspect you may have Meniere’s disease. Treatments for Meniere’s can sometimes slow the progress of your condition. More often, however, they reduce the effect that Meniere’s will have on your daily life.