Meniere’s Disease is a disorder that affects the inner ear. It can cause extreme dizziness (vertigo) and ringing in the ear (tinnitus) hearing loss, as well as an ear feeling full, or ear congestion. Meniere’s disease is usually only affecting one ear. However, in between 15 and 25% of patients with the condition, the ears of both ears could be affected.
Dizziness attacks can come abruptly or following brief periods of tinnitus or distorted hearing. There are some people who experience only one attack of dizziness, separated by prolonged intervals. Other people may experience several attacks in the same time span of several days. Certain people suffering from Meniere’s disease suffer from vertigo that is such that they lose balance and can fall. These episodes are known as “drop attacks.”
Meniere’s disease is a rare condition among children younger than 18 years old. In the words of the American Association for Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, the Disease can be diagnosed at any time however, it is most likely to affect adults between the ages of 40 and 60 of age. About 615,000 people in the United States have Meniere’s disease as of the year, and around 45,500 cases are diagnosed every year as per the American Hearing Research Foundation.
What is the cause of Meniere’s disease?
The theories about the cause of Meniere’s Disease. Many researchers believe that it could result from blood vessels that can cause migraine headaches. There are theories that suggest that viral infections, allergies, or immune reactions as potential reasons. Genetic variation could also have a role to play, considering that Meniere’s disease can affect more than one person in the family.
What triggers the symptoms of Meniere’s Disease?
Although the reasons for Meniere’s disease aren’t fully understood however, the signs of the condition are associated with a fluid imbalance within an area of the inner ear, known as the labyrinth.
The labyrinth is home to the balance organs (the semicircular canals and the otolithic organs) and hearing (the cochlea) and is divided into two parts which are the bony and the membranous. The membranous labyrinth is stuffed with a liquid called endolymph, which stimulates receptors within the balance organs when you move your body. The receptors send messages to the brain concerning the body’s posture and movements. The cochlea fluid is compressed due to sounds. The compression stimulates sensory cells which transmit signals to the brain.
For those suffering from Meniere’s disease, the buildup of endolymph inside the labyrinth known as endolymphatic Hydrops causes a disruption in equilibrium and the transmission of hearing between the ear’s inner and the brain. This is often related to vertigo as well as other symptoms of Meniere’s disease that can be quite different.
What is the process for diagnosing Meniere’s disease?
Meniere’s Disease is typically detected and diagnosed by an Otolaryngologist (commonly called an ear nose and throat physician, which is also known as ENT). There isn’t a definitive test or one symptom that an ENT doctor could utilize to diagnose. The doctor might suggest a hearing test to detect the possibility of hearing impairment. To rule out any other conditions Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) scans of the brain could be suggested.
Meniere’s disease depends on your medical history and the presence of
- A few or more vertigo attacks lasting between 20 minutes and 12 hours.
- Hearing loss in both ears or one for low – to medium-frequency sounds, as documented by an audiogram prior to or during one of the vertigo episodes.
- The symptoms of hearing that are irregularly occurring, e.g., tinnitus hearing loss or an ear sensation that feels full within the affected ear.
- The symptoms are not explained by a balance-related disorder that is diagnosed.
Probable Meniere’s Disease is usually diagnosed when you exhibit all the symptoms described above, with the exception of hearing loss that is which is confirmed through hearing tests prior to, during, or following an episode of vertigo.
How can Meniere’s disease be treated?
There’s no cure for Meniere’s Disease, and since symptoms can differ in a wide range, the benefits of treatments can be difficult to assess. Your physician may suggest any of the following treatment options to help deal with the symptoms you experience:
- Behavior and diet changes. Limiting dietary salt to 1,500-2,200 milligrams daily and taking diuretics (“water pill”) can help to control signs of the disease. Stopping smoking can help decrease symptoms.
- Medicines. The most disabling characteristic of an attack in Meniere’s Disease is dizziness. Prescription medicines can relieve dizziness and speed up the process especially if taken shortly after dizziness begins.
- Vestibular rehabilitation/physical therapy. A doctor may recommend vestibular rehabilitation and/or physical therapy if you have chronic balance issues.
- injections. Injecting the antibiotic gentamicin in the middle ear can help control vertigo, but increases the chance of hearing loss as gentamicin may damage microscopic hair cells of the inner ear, which help us hear. Corticosteroid injections are a viable alternative as they tend to reduce dizziness and carry very little or no chance of hearing loss.
- surgery. Surgery may be suggested when other therapies have not worked to alleviate dizziness. A surgical procedure can decompress the sac of endolymphatic fluid. Another method of surgery, utilized less often, sever the nerve that runs through your vestibular area.
While scientists have conducted research on alternative therapies to treat Meniere’s disease there is no evidence to support the efficacy of acupuncture, Tai Chi, acupressure, or herbal supplements, such as the ginkgo biloba plant, niacin as well as ginger root. Make sure to inform your physician if you’re taking alternative treatments as they may affect the efficacy or safety of traditional medicines.
If you are suffering from hearing loss related to Meniere’s disease, you should discuss the hearing aid alternatives with your doctor.
How is research conducted by NIDCD backing Meniere’s disease research?
Understanding the mechanisms of the inner ear that cause symptoms of Meniere’s disease will help scientists in the development of strategies to prevent the disease and provide more effective treatment. NIDCD is a partner in research to:
- Enhance our abilities to detect balance problems by developing new tests, such as:
- New measurements are used to measure the amount of motion an individual can detect in place of the conventional test of balance reflexes which can give inconsistent as well as negative outcomes.
- A method known as auditory nerve overlapped waveform is being utilized to identify signs in the early stages of Meniere’s Disease, prior to the disease getting worse, and can be identified by conventional tests.
- Examine the chemical components within earwax to aid in distinguishing Meniere’s disorder and other imbalance disorders that have similar symptoms.
- Learn more about the structure inside the ear as well as the mechanisms that regulate the normal pressure of the endolymphatic sac. This research could help identify the reasons behind the buildup of endolymph in the labyrinth which interferes with the normal listening and balance signals that connect the ear’s inner and brain in patients with Meniere’s Disease.
- Discover why common antibiotics harm hair cells within the ear canal which are essential for hearing and balance, for some people but not all. The damage could cause symptoms similar to those observed in Meniere’s Disease.
Summary
Meniere’s disease has a complex variety of symptoms, and it is difficult to recognize and manage.
Attacks can be intermittent or frequent and can cause anxiety, stress, and loss of hearing. There are periods of remission that are seen between episodes.
Anyone suffering from Meniere’s disease must seek medical attention because there are a variety of treatments available to treat the symptoms.
