Meniere’s Disease: Symptoms, Causes, And Treatments
What Exactly is Meniere’s Disease?
This disease is a type of condition of the inner-ear. It has the potential to cause vertigo which is a particular type of dizziness. It makes you feel as though you are spinning. It may also be the cause of ringing in your ears that goes by the name of Tinnitus. If you have this disorder, you would know that your hearing comes and goes with this diagnosis. You also get to feel the pressure that is being exerted on your ear. In most cases, only one of the ears gets affected. The hearing loss that can result from this has the potential to be permanent.
This particular disorder has its name in France as it was named after the French doctor, Prosper Meniere. He was the person who suggested in the 1860s that these problems arose from conditions of the inner ear and not particularly from the brain. The common assumption at the time was that it came from the brain.
Causes
Who or what remains as the main culprit of this disorder is yet to be known. Doctors, however, do believe that they are aware of how the symptoms take place on a patient.
Fluids that build up inside the parts of your inner ear go by the name of the labyrinth. This part is responsible for holding the structures whose job it is to help with both hearing and also balance. This extra fluid has the effect of interfering with the signals that your brain receives. This has the genuine potential to cause both hearing problems and vertigo as well.
Why people get affected by this condition is not clear to researchers. However, they do have a lot of theories on what might affect the fluids that are present in the inner ear.
Autoimmune response
Poor drainage
Viral infection
Allergic reaction
Blow to the head
Inherited tendency
Migraine headaches
It is also very likely that a combination of the factors listed above can be responsible for the occurrence of Meniere’s disease.
Symptoms
This disease also is progressive. What this means is that the condition gets worse as time goes on. It can very often start with something like an occasional loss of hearing. This has the genuine potential to cause both long-term hearing problems and vertigo as well. If you happen to be dizzy, make sure that you sit or lie down as soon as possible. It is recommended that you do not engage in any type of movement that may make your vertigo worse. Also, one other thing that has to be emphasized here is, DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT DRIVING.
Other than the main symptoms, a lot of people may also have:
Blurry vision
Anxiety
Trembling
Nausea or diarrhea
Cold sweat and rapid pulse
These attacks can last for a period of about 20 minutes or sometimes, as long as 24 hours. You may even get several attacks in a week, or they may even come as late as months or even years apart. The result of these attacks is that you will feel very tired and that you will need to rest afterward.
As the disease progresses, the symptoms of the disease can change as well. The hearing loss that you suffered from this disorder has the potential to be permanent, and so can tinnitus. This can lead to the patient having a lot of issues with their balance and vision as well, rather than just getting occasional vertigo.
If it looks or feels like that you may have this disease, it is recommended that you call your doctor immediately. Do not make the dangerous assumption that it can get better just on its own.
How is it diagnosed?
In order to diagnose this disorder, both you and your doctor will need to talk about the symptoms that you have present and also discuss your medical history in detail. There are many tests that are diagnostic that can really help with checking how well your balance and your hearing are doing. Some of these tests are listed below:
Electronystagmogram, The main purpose of this test is to test your balance. When you undergo this particular test, you will be placed in a room that is darkened. They will then proceed to have both your eye movements measured. This happens while cool and warm air is blown through your ear canals.
Electrocochleography. The purpose of this test is to measure the level of fluid pressure that is present in your inner ear.
Audiometric exam. This test looks for loss of hearing in the ear that is affected. It can include things such as being tested on understanding the difference between words like fit and sit. This is known as speech discrimination.
Rotary chair testing. The purpose of this test is to look at how your eye movements have an effect on your inner ear. You are required to sit in a chair that is turning and one that is controlled via a computer.
Vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (VEMP). This particular test is very interesting. It measures how you respond to unexpected and loud noises. If your reaction time is normal, then it means that your hearing is ok. If you do not respond at all, then you will know that you have some issues with your hearing capabilities.
Posturography. The main reason why this test is conducted is to see how well your balance is and how well you can keep a hold of it. When this test is conducted, the patient is required to stand without any shoes on a platform that has the ability to move in more than one direction. You are also required to wear a harness, and this will let your doctor see just how well you respond when the platform that you are standing on moves in certain directions.