No one’s quite sure what causes Meniere’s disease. But it’s hard to dismiss its impact. Some common symptoms of this affliction are dizziness, vertigo, ringing in the ears, and hearing loss. Scientists aren’t really sure why, but for some reason, fluid can build up in the ears and this seems to be the underlying cause of Meniere’s disease.
So here’s the question: how can you deal with something that doesn’t appear to have a discernible cause? It’s a complicated answer.
What exactly is Meniere’s disease?
There’s a persistent condition that affects the inner ear and it’s known as Meniere’s disease. For many individuals, Meniere’s disease is progressive, meaning symptoms will grow worse over time. Here are some of those symptoms:
Unpredictable bouts of vertigo: Unfortunately, there’s no way to tell when these attacks of vertigo may strike or how long they will last.
Tinnitus: The degree of this tinnitus could ebb and flow, but it’s not abnormal for those with Meniere’s Disease to have ringing in their ears.
Fullness in the ear: This symptom is medically called aural fullness, the sensation of pressure in your ear.
Hearing loss: In the long run, Meniere’s disease can result in a loss of hearing.
If you experience these symptoms, it’s essential to get an accurate diagnosis. Symptoms of Meniere’s disease can appear and disappear for many individuals. But as time passes, symptoms may become more consistent and obvious.
Treatment for Menier’s disease
Meniere’s disease is a progressive and persistent condition for which there is no known cure. But there are some ways to deal with the symptoms.
The following are a few of those treatments:
- Diuretic: A diuretic is another medication option that might be prescribed by your physician. The concept here is that the pressure in the inner ear can be minimized by reducing retention of fluid. This is a long-term medication that you’d use as opposed to one to reduce extreme symptoms.
- 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 faltering. Normally, a hearing aid won’t necessarily slow the advancement of your hearing loss. But it can help keep you socially engaged which can improve your mental health. There are also several ways hearing aids can help manage tinnitus.
- Rehabilitation: There are rehabilitation and physical therapy methods that can help you preserve balance when Meniere’s disease is flaring up. This approach may be a useful technique if you’re experiencing frequent dizziness or vertigo.
- Positive pressure therapy: When Meniere’s disease is especially hard to manage, this non-invasive strategy can be employed. It’s known as positive pressure therapy. This treatment entails subjecting the inner ear to positive pressure in order to limit fluid buildup. Peer review has not, so far, confirmed 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 typically only affect the vertigo side of symptoms. Other Meniere’s symptoms will continue.
- Steroid shots: Some symptoms of Meniere’s, particularly vertigo, can be temporarily relieved with injections of certain steroids.
- Medications: Anti-nausea and anti-dizziness medications can be prescribed by your physician in some cases. If those specific symptoms manifest, this can be helpful. For instance, medications created to help with motion sickness may help you feel less dizzy when a bout of vertigo happens.
Find the correct treatment for you
If you believe you have Meniere’s disease, you should get evaluated. The advancement of Meniere’s disease might be slowed by these treatments. But these treatments more often help you have a better quality of life despite your condition.