No one’s quite certain what causes Meniere’s disease. But the effects are difficult to dismiss. Ringing in the ears, dizziness, vertigo, and hearing loss are all common symptoms of this disorder. Researchers aren’t really sure why, but for some reason, fluid can build up in the ears and this appears to be the underlying cause of Meniere’s disease.
So the question is: if a condition doesn’t have an identifiable cause, how can it be treated? 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 patients, Meniere’s disease is progressive, meaning symptoms will grow worse over time. Here are some of those symptoms:
Unpredictable spells of vertigo: Sadly, when these bouts of vertigo will strike and how long they will last can’t be predicted.
Tinnitus: The severity of this tinnitus could ebb and flow, but it’s not unusual for those with Meniere’s Disease to experience ringing in their ears.
Fullness in the ear: This manifests as a feeling of pressure in your ears and is medically known as aural fullness.
Hearing loss: Meniere’s disease can cause hearing loss over time.
It’s critical that you get an accurate diagnosis if you’re experiencing these symptoms. For many people with Meniere’s, symptoms are intermittent. But as the disease progresses, the symptoms will likely become more consistent.
How is Meniere’s disease treated?
There is no known cure for Menier’s disease which is persistent and progressive. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t any way to treat it.
The following are some of those treatments:
- Rehabilitation: When Meniere’s disease is acting up, You can employ certain physical therapies that can help with balance. If you’re constantly dizzy or dealing with vertigo, this approach may be warranted.
- Positive pressure therapy: There’s a non-invasive method employed when Meniere’s is especially hard to manage. Positive pressure therapy is the medical term for this therapy. In order to minimize fluid buildup, the inner ear is exposed to positive pressure. While positive pressure therapy is promising, the long-term advantages of this method have not been borne out by peer-reviewed studies.
- Hearing aid: It might be time to try hearing aids if Meniere’s disease is progressing to the point where your ability to hear is faltering. Normally, a hearing aid won’t necessarily impede the advancement of your hearing loss. But it can help your mental health by keeping you socially engaged. Hearing aids can also help you deal with the symptoms of tinnitus in numerous ways.
- Surgery: Occasionally, Meniere’s disease can be addressed with surgery. However, these surgical techniques will typically only affect the vertigo side of symptoms. It won’t affect the other symptoms.
- Diuretic: Another type of medication that your physician could prescribe is a diuretic. 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 as opposed to one to reduce extreme symptoms.
- Medications: Anti-nausea and anti-dizziness medications can be prescribed by your physician in some cases. This can help when those specific symptoms appear. So, when a bout of dizziness occurs, medication for motion sickness can help alleviate that dizziness.
- Steroid shots: Injections of specific types of steroids can temporarily help relieve some Meniere’s symptoms, particularly when it comes to vertigo.
The key is getting the treatment that’s best for you
If you think you have Meniere’s disease, you should get examined. Treatments for Meniere’s can sometimes slow the progression of your condition. But these treatments more frequently help you have a better quality of life in spite of your condition.