The cause of Meniere’s isn’t well understood. But it’s difficult to overlook its impact. Some prevalent symptoms of this affliction are dizziness, vertigo, ringing in the ears, and hearing loss. Symptoms of Meniere’s disease seem to come from a buildup of fluid in the inner ear, but researchers aren’t really sure what causes that accumulation initially.
So here’s the question: if something doesn’t have an identifiable cause, how can it be addressed? The answer is, well, complex.
Exactly what is Meniere’s disease?
There’s a persistent affliction 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 bouts of vertigo: Unfortunately, there’s no way to tell when these episodes of vertigo may strike or how long they could last.
Tinnitus: The degree of this tinnitus may ebb and flow, but it’s not abnormal for those with Meniere’s Disease to experience ringing in their ears.
Fullness in the ear: This is experienced as a feeling of pressure in your ears and is medically called aural fullness.
Hearing loss: Over time, Meniere’s disease can lead to a loss of hearing.
If you experience these symptoms, it’s necessary to receive an accurate diagnosis. For many individuals with Meniere’s, symptoms are irregular. But as the disease advances, the symptoms will most likely become more regular.
Treatment for Menier’s disease
There is no known cure for Menier’s disease which is chronic and progressive. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t any way to treat it.
Some of the most prevalent treatments include the following:
- Hearing aid: It may be time to try hearing aids if Meniere’s disease is advancing to the point where your ability to hear is failing. Typically, a hearing aid won’t necessarily impede the advancement of your hearing loss. But it can benefit your mental health by keeping you socially active. Hearing aids can also help you manage the symptoms of tinnitus in numerous ways.
- Surgery: In some cases, surgery is used to treat Meniere’s. However, these surgical procedures will generally only impact the vertigo side of symptoms. It won’t impact the other symptoms.
- Rehabilitation: When Meniere’s disease is acting up, You can utilize certain physical therapies that can help with balance. If you’re perpetually dizzy or experiencing vertigo, this approach might be warranted.
- Positive pressure therapy: There’s a non-invasive technique employed when Meniere’s is especially difficult to manage. Positive pressure therapy is the medical name for this treatment. This treatment entails subjecting the inner ear to positive pressure in order to limit fluid buildup. Peer review has not, as of yet, verified the long-term benefits of this approach but it does seem encouraging.
- Diuretic: A diuretic is another medication option that might be prescribed by your doctor. The strategy is that reducing the retention of fluids could help minimize pressure on your inner ear. This is a long-term medication that you’d take as opposed to one to reduce severe symptoms.
- Medications: Anti-nausea and anti-dizziness medications can be prescribed by your doctor in some cases. If those particular symptoms manifest, this can be helpful. So, when a bout of dizziness happens, medication for motion sickness can help relieve that dizziness.
- Steroid shots: Some symptoms of Meniere’s, especially vertigo, can be temporarily relieved with injections of certain steroids.
Find the best treatment for you
You should get checked out if think you might have Meniere’s disease. Treatments for Meniere’s can sometimes slow down the progression of your condition. But these treatments more often help you have a better quality of life in spite of your condition.