Meniere's disease

Most of the people experience ringing in the ear (tinnitus) after attending a concert or feel dizzy while standing for a long time. Some of us also feel a loss of balance and a feeling of fullness in the infected ear with a headache. When you experience all the symptoms together then is a possibility that you are might experiencing Meniere’s disease.

If you need any assistance or have a question about Meniere’s disease or Tinnitus, you can consult our HearingSol experts with your problem, feel free to call us on +91-9327901950. We are always here to help you.

While the diagnosis, it is very important to differentiate between Meniere’s disease and its similar conditions. To help you all, we have prepared this in-depth health guide. Get the facts on diagnosis, treatments, exercises, and more. Here is a table of content covering the topic we have discussed in this article.

Meniere’s Disease Overview

Meniere’s disease is a relatively less known cause of sensory hearing loss. It is not at all as prevalent as noise-induced hearing loss or presbycusis.

About 1 to 200 people in 100000 tend to come up with symptoms with Menier’s disease that roughly corresponds to 0.15 percent of the population having some form of this disease. Most people tend to develop it in adulthood increasing incidence or prevalence of it.

These symptoms can be most unpleasant and it might be practical to say you wouldn’t wish it on your worst enemy. Because the symptoms can be most horrible. Some people elect for a complete labyrinth ectomy of the ear in order to get rid of it.

The French physician Prosper Ménière was the first to tell the connection between vertigo and the inner ear in the 1800s. Meniere’s disease is also known as idiopathic endolymphatic hydrops. It is an inner ear condition that affects both balance and hearing. Fluid buildup in the inner ear generates pressure and therefore starts damaging organs that are responsible for hearing and balance.

In other words you can say that Meniere’s disease is a kind of disorder in the inner ear which mostly cause some happening in which you will feel like spinning which is also known as vertigo, ringing in the ears(tinnitus), eventually a permanent hearing loss, and most of the times feeling of fullness or pressure in the ear.

It usually affects one ear but over time it also starts developing in the other ear in mostly half of the people having Meniere’s syndrome. This disease can occur in any age group, though it occurs in the age group of 40 to 60 years the most.

Health professionals believe that symptoms of Meniere’s disease cause episodes in people which makes them feel as if they are spinning. Meniere’s disease symptoms usually come on people as “attacks” or “episodes”. Some of the patients with this disease don’t experience symptoms between episodes.

Living with a disease is like living with an invisible illness. One can never predict what the other person is experiencing on the inside.

Research About Meniere’s Disease

According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), around 615,000 in the United States are suffering from Meniere’s disease. And also, more than 45,000 cases every year get diagnosed.

It was concluded that more than 68,00 research article is concerning about the Meniere’s disease which was first published since 1883, in Pubmed. In the past, AHRF(American Hearing Research Foundation) did research found on the disease. It is in demand to research further on this topic.

The disease has its name from the French physician Prosper Meniere. He was the scientist who told the world about this illness first in 1861. In the year 1981, the group of Otolaryngologists found the society of the Meniere’s, and the aim of this society is to promote the academic circulation and the clinical research on this inner ear disease and all other cases that cause the ear infection.

Meniere’s Disease Symptoms

It is believed that once you know about the disease and the reason behind that, then it’s easy to relate that how it will be prevented. The symptoms did not give the whole description of this disorder, it differs in a variety of times as before, during, or between the episodes. They also differ after and during the late stages of the disease. This disease begins with fluctuating hearing difficulty, then finally progressing to attacks of dizziness and vertigo.

The list which is described below is also introduced as the precise set of warning symptoms. If these symptoms are in particular attention then you can move into a better situation before the attack.

Dizziness:

Dizziness is the main symptom of Meniere’s disease and it is generally caused by different diseases and infections. It is a very inconvenient and annoying symptom to deal with and could affect your daily life.

Nausea:

It has been another common symptom of Meniere’s disease, and along with the dizziness, you could also feel about nausea. Some of the symptoms can be in a group together like dizziness and nausea, as by grouping together the disease is caused named vertigo.

Hearing loss:

Hearing loss may be the most common and the scariest symptoms of the Meniere’s disease which may be affected in one ear or both of the ears. Though it is temporary and not the permanent hearing loss which happens to some time. Most of the people claimed that the hearing loss seems like the ear is been plugged up. The sound would be distorted, fuzzy, like feels to be the distance.

Ringing in the ear:

Another symptom of the Meniere’s disease is the ringing in the ear which is also known as tinnitus. You must experience that problem in one or both the ears feel you uncomfortable, distracting, and grating. This disease may have various o symptoms like tinnitus without vertigo and hearing loss, or a combination of the variety of the symptoms.

Diarrhea:

People who feel the experience of diarrhea could also experience the vertigo feeling. You need to be hydrated when you are going through all these types of symptoms of Meniere’s disease. Since vertigo can cause you to throw up, the combination of vomiting and diarrhea will make you extremely dehydrated, and cause other health problems if not corrected.

Cold sweats:

People who suffer from vertigo symptoms like nausea, dizziness, and even vomiting in the middle of the attack then they could also develop the cold sweats. It is a more uncomfortable feeling than any other symptom. Vertigo Medication can help in reducing the disease.

The feeling of fatigue:

The feeling of the fatigue generally means the tiredness and also the common symptoms which sometimes become mild or moderate. If you are having a Meniere than you are more sensitive to the fatigue problem. It’s having more risk to fall for your prayers.

Extreme of mood change:

Mood changes are another symptom of this inner ear problem. Most of the people suffering from the disease have the claim of having different changes in their mood from the irritation and anger to anxiety and fear. There can be many reasons behind the change in your mood so they are not that necessary for Meniere’s disease.

A migraine:

A migraine is a very easy way of detecting Meniere’s disease. This symptom cannot be missed as this causes a very severe headache and many diet and lifestyle are the cause of a migraine. It is believed that the migraines are also being the cause of damaging in the inner ear.

According to the American Hearing Research Foundation, it is believed that most of the cases when people are suffering from Meniere’s disease then they are suffering from the migraine problem too. This disease can also be caused due to the genetic problem, which means that if any family member is suffering from this disease then it has the risk that you could also be affected.

Some Additionals Symptoms

  • Balance disturbance
  • Lightheadedness
  • Increased ear pressure
  • Sound sensitivity
  • The indistinct feeling of uneasiness

At an early stage of Meniere’s disease, attack symptoms include –

  • Fluctuating hearing impairment,
  • A feeling of fullness( aural fullness),
  • Impulse and violent vertigo.

Most of the time the episodes also include below listed symptoms –

  • Nausea and vomiting,
  • Trembling
  • Palpitation or irregular heartbeat
  • Eye jerking or blurry vision.

The symptoms which also described after as well as between the attacks of the Meniere’s disease:

  • Worry, anger, anxiety, and fear
  • Change in the hungriness
  • Heavy-handed
  • Difficulty in concentration and tendency to look for words
  • Tiredness, Depression, and Difficult in sleeping
  • Lightheadedness
  • Loss of self-confidence and self-dependency
  • Vomiting
  • Neck-ache or stiff-neck
  • Sound sensitivity
  • Unsteadiness

Late-stage Meniere’s disease refers to a lot of symptoms. Hearing impairment becomes more significant and the fluctuation decreases. Vertigo attacks also get replaced by more constant balance and vision difficulties. It also includes a sudden loss of balance and a problem in waking at night time. Tinnitus may get stronger and more constant.

Most of the time episodes or attacks of vertigo can be critical for some patients. It is a long-term and constantly recurring disease. In case you have Meniere’s disease, reducing the sugar intake might help. As salt attracts fluid which causes our body to retain excess fluid. Therefore reducing salt in the patient’s diet can reduce the fluid build-up in the ear. However, salt amount reduction does not affect the severity or intensity of vertigo.

Natural Ways To Manage Meniere’s Disease

Manage stress:

Reduced of the stress may relieve most of the Meniere’s symptoms. By taking more stress you can go through a heart problem, obesity, diabetes, digestive disorders, etc.

Sound and music therapy:

Music therapy may improve the blood flow in the inner ear and reducing the stress may feel you in relaxation in the body.

Breathing exercise:

Practice breathing exercises if you have a problem with sleeping length and quality.

Group support:

This is important for those who are recently diagnosed you should find a support group through the vestibular disorder’s association. Connecting with a community is essential for any chronic illness but particularly for one that has symptoms as debilitating as this condition.

Massage:

According to the study published in the journal of manipulative physiological therapeutics, deep tissue massage focus on stretching, and massage of the neck is associated with significant improvements in tinnitus.

Acupuncture:

It is found that acupuncture helps to resolve the vertigo symptoms, as it is believed that the 4 acupuncture sessions are conducted every other day or once a week later. Much improvement is shown at the beginning of the first session.

Meniere’s Disease Causes

The theory is still researching on this, as the cause for the Meniere’s disease is not found yet that whether it is from the ear infection or viral infections in the inner ear. Once the theory is proved that the result causes due to the abnormal amount of the fluid in the ear, but this theory was not clear at all that this might be the cause for the episodes that happen.

It is also believed that Meniere’s disease is generally caused due to the result of pressure in the fluid in the inner ear which is simply known as the “hydrops”.

Meniere’s Disease Diagnosis

For diagnosis tinnitus and the aural fullness should be there in your ear, as the diagnosis of Meniere’s disease is done from history. For diagnosis, an audiogram is very helpful to show the hearing loss or other abnormalities in the inner ear. It is repeatedly helpful if an audiogram is used immediately after the attack of vertigo, this is the characteristics of low-frequency deafness, not the high-frequency hearing loss.

Diagnosis of Meniere’s disease requires:

  • Two episodes of vertigo, each lasting 20 minutes or longer but not longer than 24 hours
  • Hearing loss verified by a hearing test
  • Tinnitus or a feeling of fullness in your ear
  • Exclusion of other known causes of these problems

Hearing Test For Meniere’s Disease

If you are feeling the symptoms of hearing loss then the hearing test, as well as the audiometry, is used. In this type of test, you will put the headphones and allow your ear to feel the sound of a variety of pitches and volumes. You have to indicate when and when not you are hearing a sound, so the practitioners could judge whether you have a hearing loss problem or not.

There will also be a test of your hearing to check whether you can tell the difference between the various sounds or not. In this type of testing, you tend to hear words through the headphones and you have to repeat what you had heard. This result will tell your doctor whether you are experiencing a hearing loss in one or both the ears.

Balance Tests

A balance test for Meniere’s disease is used to test for ENG (Electronystagmography). Meniere’s disease reduces the balance response in one the ears so the balance test is used to test the function of the inner ear.

In the inner ear, balance response creates the eye movements, therefore, this test requires electrodes placed near your eyes to detect your eye movements.

This test requires both hot and cold water pushed into your ears so that it generates the balance function to come into work. Any reflexive eye movements will be tracked and any abnormalities can causes problems in the inner ear.

There is some test that evaluates the function in the inner ear.

Videonystagmography(VNG):

By determining the eye movements this test evaluates the balance function. In the inner ear, the balance-related sensors are linked to the muscles which control the eye movement. This permits your head to move while keeping your eye fixed at a point.

The warm and cool air or water is pushed into the ear canal in this VNG test, and the eye movements are recorded by using a special type of goggles.

Rotary-chair testing:

It is similar to the VNG test, but this test measures the function of the inner ear based on the movements of the eye movements. The patient has to sit on a rotating chair, which measures your inner ear.

Vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials(VEMP) testing:

This is the one test discovered which not only diagnose but also monitors Meniere’s disease. By this test, the affected ears change its characteristics which shows the person is with Meniere’s disease.

Posturography:

This test is computerized that shows which part of the balance system i.e, vision, inner ear function, or sensations from the skin, muscles, tendons, and joints, the person depends on the most and also shows which part may cause the problem. The person has to keep their balance under the various condition, by having safety equipment and you have to stand in naked feet on a platform.

Video head impulse test (VHIT):

This test also requires a video to measure the eye reactions for sudden movements. You have an abnormal reflex when you turn your head with your eye moves off as in the normal situation the eye is fixed at a point when turning your head quickly.

Electrocochleography (ECoG):

This test measures the inner ear with the reflection of a sound, it also determines whether there is an abnormal blockage of the inner ear but does not specify a Meniere’s disease.

Other Tests:

The problem came as the Meniere’s disease is specified with the help of the blood test and an imaging test like MRI, this also tells about a tumor in the brain or other multiple disorders.

Meniere’s Disease Treatment

There is no cure for this inner ear disease and the hearing loss caused. But, some medications and treatment exist which is used to reduce the problems of the vertigo episodes. They help to stop the spells of vertigo.

The treatment is of two types. Some of them try to reduce the severity of the disease and the number of episodes in the long term. Also, some treatments aim to reduce the episodes while they are reoccurring. Also, dietary changes reduce the inner ear fluid which as a result reduces the Meniere’s disease symptoms.

Some of the treatments are –

  • Medication can be used during episodes to reduce nausea and vertigo or both. Certain drugs are there to reduce the symptoms such as lorazepam(Ativan), diazepam*(Valium), meclizine hydrochloride, and Gentamicin is used to control the effect of vertigo.
  • In U.S. health professionals believe that a reduced-sodium diet with medication that helps in controlling water retention is a long-term treatment for Meniere’s disease. This treatment resulted in the reduction of inner-ear fluid pressure.
  • Caffeine can make tinnitus worse, therefore you should reduce the intake of caffeine.
  • Vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT), helps in reducing the imbalance between the attacks.
  • Surgery is also an option for treatment. It reduces the pressure in the inner ear. Also, through surgery, you can block the movement of information to the brain from the affected ear.

Medications For Vertigo

During a vertigo episode, your doctor must prescribe medications like:

  • Motion sickness medications: such as meclizine reduce spinning sensation and reduces vomiting and nausea feeling.
  • Anti-nausea medications: such as promethazine which also controls nausea and vomiting during the episodes of vertigo.

Over-the-counter (OTC) medications:

Besides the doctor’s prescription OTC medications also used for the symptoms of the Meniere ’s disease.

Beneficial OTC medications

Common effects of Meniere’s disease and vertigo is dizziness, nausea, and motion sickness. There are some medications which can help with this symptom like;

  • Anti-nausea medication, like Dramamine
  • Antihistamines, like Benadryl

For the prevention of Dizziness, motion sickness, and nausea a Dramamine is used. Vertigo can also cause due to the swelling in the ear, that is why anti-inflammatory drugs like Benadryl is very useful. Swelling in the ear helps to control nausea and dizziness caused due to vertigo.

Harmful OTC medications

And you should also be assured of the harmful OTC medications which get involved with the Meniere’s disease, like:

  • antacids which relieve heartburn or indigestion
  • aspirin
  • nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin)

Noninvasive Therapies And Procedures

The people suffering from the Meniere’s disease is benefited from some noninvasive therapies like:

  • Rehabilitation: If you are going through balance problems between the episodes of vertigo then the vestibular rehabilitation will help to improve your balance.
  • Hearing aid: Hearing aid is used to improve your hearing loss problem caused by Meniere’s disease. Your doctor must refer to an audiologist to discuss what hearing device should be suitable for your ears.
  • Minett device: As we know that the vertigo problem is hard to treat, so this therapy involves applying pressure in the middle ear to improve the fluid exchange. The device named Meniett pulse generator applies pulses of pressure to the ear canal through a ventilation tube.

Middle Ear Injections

To improve the vertigo episodes a medication is injected into a middle ear and then absorbed into an inner ear,

  • Gentamicin: It is a type of an antibiotic which toxic in your inner ear, this reduces a balancing function of your ear and the other ear is supposed to take the responsibility of the balancing. This procedure which is done in your doctor’s office during local anesthesia also reduces the possibilities of vertigo attacks. This can lead to being the risk of further hearing loss problems.
  • Steroids: Steroids like dexamethasone, also control a vertigo problem or attacks in most of the people. This procedure is also performed by the anesthesia used by the doctor. Dexamethasone is less effective than the gentamicin, and the dexamethasone is also less known for further hearing loss problems.

New Treatment For Meniere’s Disease

New treatment of the Meniere’s disease involves the upper cervical spine. There is the discovery made in 1999 by an upper cervical chiropractor Dr. Michael Burcon. He treats the upper cervical area of 3 patients who has Meniere’s disease, and after the treatment, all the patients claimed free from the vertigo problem caused by Meniere’s disease.

The two new treatments for Meniere’s disease are the upper cervical spine and upper cervical Chiropractor training.

Dr. Burcon starts researching on the Meniere’s disease which he prevents. He realized that they have a common thing and started treating all Meniere’s disease cases as he treats a whiplash. after that, he solved 530 cases and all the people claimed that at last the vertigo problem is vanished up.

Meniere’s Disease Exercise

Exercises may reduce the symptoms by helping the body transform into the disease. Moving exercises like sports or walking may improve body balance. Some specified exercises may be different for the Meniere’s disease person than for the normal person. The physical therapist may suggest you the best exercises.

Vestibular eye exercises

Vestibular exercises like Cawthorne-Cooksey exercises may help the person going through the Meniere’s disease. This exercise involves head and eye movements. For these exercises, you should either be seated or laying down.

First, you have to sit on a chair with a face lied up on a bed or the floor. Move your eyes upward as well as downward positions. Place a finger 3 feet away from the face and start focusing on it and now take your finger from 3 feet to 1 foot from your face keeping focus on it only. Speed up the exercise as you get to better known of it and do without the feel of dizzy.

Seated vestibular head and shoulder exercises

For this exercise, you have to sit vertically in a chair. Tilt your chin down towards your chest, then tilt it towards the ceiling. You should be slow and make your eyes open. You can close your eyes and make up the speed while you started feeling dizzy. Then you have to move the head towards each shoulder, as with the tilting exercise, head-turning exercise should be slow and fast in some situation, with your eyes either open or closed. This may be done while lying down and it limits your range of motion.

Surgery And Its Procedures

Surgery is used when all the medications and the treatment becomes failed. It is used to make the episodes of vertigo becomes weak. There are some procedures involved like:

Intratympanic Steroids:

To treat a Meniere’s disease the steroids are injected into the inner ear directly from the eardrum or the grommet. Steroids are at a lesser concentration of drugs when taken orally as from the injection used directly into the eardrum. Gentamicin is used to reduce the effect of the hearing loss and the dizziness, and steroids become an advantage for the gentamicin as it works in an anti-inflammatory nature.

Endolymphatic sac surgery:

It is the surgery in the inner ear of the endolymphatic sac. A small amount of the bone is removed from the inner ear around the endolymphatic sac, which has the goal to reduce the pressure of the fluid in the sac. There are several variations and the procedure performed under the general anesthesia.

Labyrinthectomy:

This surgery destroys both the hearing and the vestibular functions of the inner ear. It is performed either by removing the small amount of the bone or by removing all of the labyrinths or by opening the inner ear and demolish some of the soft tissue presents within it. With the use of the labyrinthectomy, there is a 95-98% chance of finishing the vertigo attacks. This technique is not used until there is a good hearing in an affected ear as this procedure finishes up the hearing function.

Vestibular Neurectomy:

This is the last option used when there are the most severe cases of the affected patients. This procedure cuts out the balance nerve from the brain. When the endolymphatic sac surgery fails and there is still hope for the hearing ability then neurectomy is taken as the option. For the procedure of vestibular neurectomy, there should be an expertise present. There is a severe risk of cutting the nerve from the brain because it also considers a hearing nerve and the balance nerve.

Grommets:

Another name for the grommets is the tympanostomy tube. Grommets are inserted into the inner ear to allow the air comes out from the middle ear space. The air should be present in the middle ear space as it is connected at the back of the nose to the Eustachian tube. It is believed that the pressure in the two systems might be different and the grommets will allow the pressure to equalize. Grommets are used in children when their ears have a blockage problem. And can also be useful for the disorders of the middle ear. Like all of the surgical interventions, it is controversial and many people feel that it does not add any real evidence of success. Nonetheless, there are patients who do seem to enter remission following grommet insertion. It’s also integral for patients who want to use the Minett device.

3 Stages of Meniere’s Disease

It is classified into three stages like:

  • Early-stage
  • Middle stage
  • Last stage

Generally, people have more problems with starting off the fewer years but as the problems reduce the hearing loss capability increases from time to time.

The stages are given below:

Early-stage

This stage consists of sudden and unpredictable attacks of vertigo which may feel you as unbalanced like spinning or moving uncontrollably. It also causes nausea, vomiting, and dizziness. You can go through the hearing loss problem as well as the tinnitus problem at the very same time. You must feel a fullness and a blockage in the ear.

At this stage, the attacks occur for 20-30 mins. But it can go for 2-3 hours a day, as the length of the time varies from time to time. As per the survey, most of the people experience 6-15 attacks a year. In this, the attacks of vertigo are known as the Sporadic attacks.

Middle stage

In this you may cause tinnitus, hearing loss problem, etc. in this stage the attacks of vertigo continue, the episodes itself become less severe. Int his stage you can go through a permanent hearing loss problem or the increasing problem in the tinnitus. You can also feel of remission in which all the symptoms go away and it can take up to several months.

Last stage

In this stage, the attacks of vertigo completely vanish away and there is an increase in hearing loss problem. Instead, you will have a balance disorder problem and you can also not be able to stand in your feet even in the dark. Longer the attacks last there will be more chance of effect in both the ears. Around 40% of people have experienced the effect of both the ears.

Similar Conditions

Vertigo: It May Be Meniere’s Disease or BPPV

Most of the time, you will experience things spinning around you early in the morning. Some also experience nausea and a headache early in the morning. The frequent episodes of vertigo are short that’s why they are very intense. However, they are harmless. Therefore, they are called Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). It can occur early in the morning or as you try to turn your head at a fast speed.

vertigo disease

Although some of the episodes of vertigo with Meniere’s disease are not interconnected with the head position the same as with BPPV. The attacks or episodes can happen at any time without any warning. These episodes can extend more than 20 minutes every time. These episodes also bring symptoms of vomiting and nausea until the episodes get subside.

Vestibular Neuronitis

It is a disorder of the vestibular portion(labyrinth) of the inner ear. This disorder makes a person experience certain symptoms such as dizziness, severe vertigo, nausea, vomiting, concentration, and balance difficulties. The symptoms include frequent episodes of vertigo (dizziness) with nausea. Though there is no ringing in the ear (tinnitus) which is present in Meniere’s Disease.

Vestibular Neuronitis is caused by viruses such as mumps, influenza, rubella, measles, etc. Also, the drops attacks of vestibular origin occur in the late stage of Meniere’s disease.

Migraine

A migraine linked dizziness may occur with Meniere’s disease. The frequent connection between migraine symptoms during the episodes of Meniere’s disease purpose a link between both the two diseases. People also experience a headache, usually, one-sided, and also other symptoms such as vomiting, extreme sensitivity to noise or light, and nausea. However, migraine ringing in the ear and hearing loss is not experienced.

Bilateral Vestibulopathy

In this case, all three hearing, balance, and vision are influenced. Especially at night time or in certain unsure or unseen circumstances, the loss of balance may occur. Also, blurring or temporary visual difficulties can also be present. This occurs because of the damage to both the ears.

Perilymphatic Fistula

It is an abnormal opening in the bony capsule of the inner ear which results in the leakage of the fluid to the middle ear from the inner ear. It happens because of the rupture in the oval window that distinct the middle and the inner ear.

There is confusion between the diagnosis of Meniere’s disease and a perilymphatic fistula. The symptoms of perilymphatic fistula are hearing loss, imbalance, and dizziness but the spinning sensation is not present.

Meniere’s Disease Diet & Nutrition

People are still unaware of the causes, as well as the cure of the Meniere’s disease. Therefore, the right treatment which includes supplements, as well as the diet, could control the most debilitating aspects of the condition.

It basically depends on the body’s fluid and the blood system. A diet for managing the condition should focus on:

  • eliminating substances that cause the body to retain water
  • introducing more diuretics to reduce fluid volumes in the body
  • limiting harmful substances that constrict blood flow
  • limiting dietary supplements and common substances that make symptoms of Meniere disease worse

Water:

Retention of water makes the Meniere’s disease worsen. But it does not make sense of stop taking the fluid. It is important to avoid fluids packed with sugar and salts like soda or juice concentrate. These make a person retain water. You can intake the following fluids throughout a day:

  • Milk
  • Low sugar fruit juice
  • Water

Diuretics:

It is an important part of managing the Meniere’s disease, as they are the drug which forms the kidney to produce more urine. This reduces the salt levels, volumes, and the pressure of the fluids from the body.

Limit salt:

You should avoid high-sodium food and make a limit total sodium intake to 1000-2000 milligrams daily, as the excess of salt may result in increased fluid retention.

Limit caffeine:

People suffering from tinnitus then caffeine of small amounts may take the tinnitus high. If the symptoms get worse after consuming the caffeine, then remove it from your diet which includes a coffee, black tea, and the green tea.

Limit alcohol:

Drink alcohol in a small amount like occasionally. As the small amount of alcohol on a daily basis can affect your inner ear.

Don’t use tobacco:

For those with Meniere’s disease tobacco can cause health-related problems as in tobacco the nicotine found which reduces the blood supply of the inner ear by contrasting the blood vessel.

Balance food and liquid intake:

Evenly spacing of the consumption of the food and beverages helps to stabilize inner ear fluid levels.

Avoid high sugar foods and beverages:

This includes the fruits, sodas, desserts, and snacks, and sugar can also fluctuate or increase the Meniere’s symptoms. And for this don’t exchange the natural sugars with the artificial sweeteners, this can cause even higher problems with fluid levels.

Avoid food from which you have an allergy:

Once you diagnosed and determined of the food to intake you should eliminate the diet. Do not take a diet you have an allergy from, as this will reduce the symptoms of the Meniere’s disease.

Dandelion tea:

Used for the generations, dandelion tea is a medicine that increases the frequency of urination quickly.

Precautions

This is the disease that can cause permanent hearing loss, chronic fatigue, stress, anxiety, and depression. The accidents occur while driving or operating heavy machinery causes persistent vertigo. Drop attacks may occur with severe vertigo or dizziness which results in a fall. It is necessary to take precautions for Meniere’s disease.

During an attack

  • Lie down or sit still when experiencing symptoms of vertigo.
  • Do not drive a vehicle, ride a bike, climb stairs or a ladder, or ride an escalator while experiencing symptoms of vertigo.
  • Do not operate heavy machinery or household items like a chainsaw, electric knife, or other potentially dangerous equipment during an episode.

Meniere’s Disease Prognosis

The episodes of the Meniere’s disease vary among the affected people. During the early stages, the condition is the most reason to bother about it. While in the later stages vertigo episodes usually disappear. The constant of imbalance and progressive hearing loss comes by replacing the acute attacks of vertigo.

The prognosis of Meniere’s disease also differs from person to person. Periods of remission punctuated by exacerbations of symptoms are typical. Some people have minimal symptoms and some have severe problems. Episodes occur suddenly as once or twice a year or it may be on a regular basis.  Those whose condition does not stabilize are generally well-managed with medications but surgical treatment is necessary in about 5-10% of cases.

Some FAQs

How Meniere’s disease affects life?

When the person gets to know that the attacks are about to begin then they must protect themselves with the injuries. Some attacks occur during the night so make sure you should take asleep while making room lights on, you’ll be depending on the vision to help to maintain your balance.

Most of the researches say that the person with Meniere’s disease tends to have a psychological disability than the normal population. Including depression, anxiety, or reaction to another disease. It is necessary to take antidepressants or anti-anxiety drugs with the help of a healthcare professional.

When should you call your doctor?

Go straight to the doctor’s clinic when you seem to have these symptoms like:

  • Your attack lasts for more than 3 hours.
  • The symptoms during the attack become more severe.
  • You pass out.
  • You suffer hearing loss for more than 24 hours.
  • The attack is different than your typical (previous) episodes or does not respond to home treatments including prescribed medications.

If your doctor recommends treatment, then you can go to a hospital’s emergency department. here you will get a further evaluation to know about the other causes or symptoms causing other health problems.

Is there a cure for Meniere’s disease?

If you want to get a cure from any disease you have to remove that disease from the root cause and you must the exact cause of the damage. Currently, there is no cure or no treatment exists for Meniere’s disease. Medical treatment helps to manage them and reduces the episodes of this disease.

How to perform physical and sedentary work with Meniere’s disease?

Physical work:

The episodes of vertigo are the most noticeable symptoms and due to these episodes, you must be unable to perform any physical work. According to the SSA’s(Social Security Disability Applicants) guidelines, a light work like walking is always necessary for any person. This function really becomes difficult for the person going through vertigo.

Other symptoms like tinnitus and hearing loss can also become obstacles to perform any physical work because of the impaired ability or inability to communicate with those around them.

Sedentary work:

Meniere’s disease makes a desk job challenging, as in the sedentary work explained by the SSA, the work requires sitting for up to 6 hours a day, maybe at risk of collapsing due to vertigo.

Vertigo can cause the dizziness and the situation of the brain when it not ideal to think and act fast. Communicating with the phones as well as the others may be difficult due to impaired hearing.

Well, that’s all on our behalf. If you suspect that you might have an inner ear disease or suffering from any similar condition, you may contact our hearing expert. Dial our toll-free number +91-9327901950 to have a word of conversation with a professional today. Thanks for visiting.

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