Meniere's disease

Written By The HealthMeth Team - Updated On Saturday, March 13, 2021 6:00 PM

Meniere's disease

Ménière's disease is considered a disorder that affects the inner ear , and often only one ear is affected by this disease, and it is represented by the sufferer's suffering from episodes of dizziness that occur suddenly or are preceded by symptoms of tinnitusOr other hearing disturbances, and it should be noted that these seizures may be rare, as each seizure is separated from the other by a long period of time, and on the other hand, in others it may be more frequent, so that only a short period of time may not separate between the episode and the other. some days. In fact, the number of people infected with it in the United States of America is currently estimated at about 615,000 people, and about 45,000 new cases are diagnosed annually, and it is worth noting that Meniere's disease may affect people of any age, but adults between the ages of forty and sixty are considered They are most likely to get it. [1]


Causes of Meniere's disease

Given the causes that lead to suffering from Meniere's disease, scientists have not yet reached the actual cause, but some believe that genes play an important role in its appearance, because it has recorded cases of disease transmission from parents to their children, and on the other hand, some researchers believe that a disease Meniere appears as a result of narrowing of blood vessels in a manner similar to what happens in cases of migraine headaches , and finally some believe that there are some health problems that result in a person suffering from this disease, including viral infection , and autoimmune diseases Diseases and allergic reactions. [1]


Symptoms of Meniere's disease

In fact, people with Meniere's disease do not have symptoms of the disease permanently. Rather, symptoms often appear in the form of seizures, and between these episodes no symptoms usually appear, and the most important symptoms and signs that appear during disease episodes can be summarized as follows: [2]

  • Rotor , and may last from a few minutes to about 24 hours.
  • Loss of the sense of hearing in the affected ear.
  • Loss of balance.
  • Headache.
  • Nausea, vomiting and sweating due to vertigo.
  • Tinnitus, which may be represented by a feeling of ringing in the affected ear .
  • Feeling of fullness in the affected ear.


Meniere's disease treatment

In fact, there is not yet a cure for Meniere's disease, including cases of hearing loss resulting from infection, but there are some treatment options that can be adopted to control the dizzy spells that accompany Meniere's disease, in order to reduce their severity and reduce the number of times they occur. These possible treatment options are as follows: [3]

  • Medicinal options: These options can be divided as follows:
    • Medicines to relieve motion sickness , such as meclizine and diazepam , because of their role in reducing the feeling of dizziness, as well as nausea and vomiting.
    • Medicines to relieve nausea : including Promethazine, used to control symptoms of nausea and vomiting during a dizzy spell.
    • Diuretics , and their use aims to control fluid accumulation, and the patient is often advised to limit the intake of salts in addition to taking these drugs, and it should be noted that taking diuretics may significantly help control the severity of the disease and the number of times its attacks .
    • Gentamicin, a type of antibiotic, is given by injection into the middle ear, to be absorbed into the inner ear, and this drug is injected in the specialist’s office after giving the patient a local anesthetic, and in fact this type of antibiotic is toxic For the inner ear , but perhaps this explains its use in such cases, as it is given to reduce the function of the ear in maintaining human balance, and thus the second ear is responsible for balance after this procedure, and it is worth noting that despite the ability of this drug to control symptoms Vertigo and reducing the intensity and number of times it occurs, but it may cause hearing loss in the treated ear.
    • Steroids are also given by injection into the middle ear , and an example is the drug Dexamethasone, and although it is less effective in controlling dizziness compared to gentamicin, it is less likely to cause hearing loss .
  • Surgical options: surgical options are resorted to in cases where the symptoms are very severe, and other treatments have not worked, and these options include what is known as a labyrinthectomy and cutting the vestibular nerve .
  • Non-invasive medical procedures: These procedures are considered minimally invasive , and examples are physical therapy, stethoscopes, and others.
  • Lifestyle changes: There are some tips that are provided on the level of making some lifestyle changes, and this treatment is performed by the individual on his own, and from the advice and required changes the following:
    • Limiting the amounts of salts consumed in different foods and drinks, because of their role in the accumulation of fluids, and therefore it is recommended to eat no more than 1500-2000 mg of salt per day, provided that it is distributed throughout the day.
    • Controlling stress and dealing with it positively and effectively, because of its role in increasing the severity of symptoms.
    • Sit or lie down when feeling dizzy.
    • Take a break during and after the seizure.
    • Avoid driving or using heavy machinery if the person suffers from frequent episodes of vertigo.
    • Beware of falling due to the possibility of losing balance.


References

  1. ^ A b "Ménière's Disease" , Www.nidcd.nih.gov , Retrieved April 14, 2018. Edited by .
  2. "Meniere's Disease" , www.healthline.com , Retrieved April 14, 2018. Edited.
  3. "Meniere's disease" , www.mayoclinic.org , Retrieved April 14, 2018. Edited.