No one’s quite sure what causes Meniere’s disease. But it’s hard to dismiss its effects. Ringing in the ears, vertigo, dizziness, and hearing loss are all typical symptoms of this disorder. Symptoms of Meniere’s disease appear to stem from a buildup of fluid in the inner ear, but scientists aren’t really sure what causes that accumulation initially.
So the question is: how can you address something that doesn’t seem to have an identifiable cause? The answer is, well, complicated.
What exactly is Meniere’s disease?
There’s a chronic disorder that affects the inner ear and it’s called Meniere’s disease. Symptoms of Meniere’s will get worse over time, for many individuals, because it’s a progressive disease. Here are some of those symptoms:
Unpredictable bouts of vertigo: Sadly, when these bouts of vertigo will occur and how long they may last can’t be predicted.
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 known as aural fullness, the sensation of pressure in your ear.
Hearing loss: Meniere’s disease can result in hearing loss over time.
It’s critical that you get the proper diagnosis if you’re experiencing these symptoms. For many people with Meniere’s, symptoms are irregular. But as time passes, symptoms can become more regular and noticeable.
How is Meniere’s disease treated?
Meniere’s disease is a progressive and chronic condition which has no known cure. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t any way to treat it.
Some of the most common treatments include the following:
- Rehabilitation: When Meniere’s disease is acting up, You can utilize certain physical therapies that can help with balance. This approach could be a practical approach if you’re experiencing regular 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 faltering. The advancement of your hearing loss won’t necessarily be slowed down by hearing aids. But it can help keep you socially active which can improve your mental health. Hearing aids can also help you manage the symptoms of tinnitus in a number of ways.
- Positive pressure therapy: There’s a non-invasive method used when Meniere’s is especially difficult to treat. Positive pressure therapy is the medical term for this treatment. This treatment involves exposing 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 approach but it does seem encouraging.
- Steroid shots: Some symptoms of Meniere’s, particularly vertigo, can be temporarily relieved with injections of specific steroids.
- Surgery: In some cases, surgery is used to treat Meniere’s. However, these surgical procedures will typically only affect the vertigo part of symptoms. It won’t impact the other symptoms.
- Diuretic: Another kind of medication that your physician may prescribe is a diuretic. The idea is that reducing the retention of fluids might help minimize pressure on your inner ear. This medication isn’t used to manage acute symptoms but instead is taken long-term.
- Medications: Anti-nausea and anti-dizziness medications can be prescribed by your doctor in some situations. This can be helpful when those particular symptoms occur. So, when an episode of dizziness occurs, medication for motion sickness can help relieve that dizziness.
Find the best treatment for you
You should get checked out if think you may have Meniere’s disease. The development of Meniere’s disease might be slowed down by these treatments. More frequently, however, they minimize the effect that Meniere’s will have on your day-to-day life.
