An individual’s ears are most known for helping people hear. However, these crucial organs are comprised of another important component. When such features malfunction or succumb to the disease, untoward conditions might arise. One such malady is Meniere’s Disease.
Overview Of Meniere’s Disease
Meniere’s Disease impacts the inner ear and may precipitate any number of bothersome, potentially life-altering physical manifestations.
Causes
Up to the present, medical researchers have been unable to pinpoint one specific cause for Meniere’s Disease.
That said, scientists believe the malady results from specific systemic abnormalities occurring inside the inner ear. Said structure is comprised of a feature known as the labyrinth.
The labyrinth plays an important part in regulating one’s balance and hearing. When the component collects fluid, normal function is disrupted because the signals transmitted between the brain and labyrinth are blocked are disjointed.
Furthermore, researchers cannot exclaim why this fluid buildup happens. That said, said medical professionals maintain that the event could result from nasal allergies, pathogenic infections, head or ear trauma, autoimmune disorders, abnormal ear canal formation, obstructions like tumors, and migraine headaches.
Symptoms
Arguably, the most common symptom of Meniere’s Disease is vertigo.
Also known as dizziness, stricken subjects often experience recurring incidents of uncontrollable spinning sensations. Typically, these episodes begin abruptly and linger anywhere from less than 30 minutes to as long as several hours. In severe instances, vertigo is accompanied by nausea and possibly even vomiting.
Additionally, the ailment might elicit other physical manifestations, such as hearing loss, a ringing in the ears known scientifically as tinnitus, and a feeling of fullness or pressure within the ear. In certain cases, the associated hearing loss can be permanent.
Complications
Episodes usually occur unpredictably and on significantly inopportune occasions, including when the afflicted subject is operating heavy machinery, driving an automobile, exercising, or walking in tight spots.
Vertigo happening in any of the preceding circumstances could pose a major safety threat to the afflicted person and others. Therefore, diagnosed subjects are strongly encouraged to demonstrate extreme caution when performing said activities.
Diagnosis
To receive a formal diagnosis, an impacted subject must have incurred some degree of hearing loss, have experienced at least two vertigo episodes lasting no less than 20 minutes but no longer than 12 hours, and tinnitus or a feeling of fullness or heaviness inside the ear. Moreover, these occurrences cannot be tied to any other specific illness.
General practitioners or hearing specialists will confirm suspicions by performing tests, such as a hearing assessment and a host of balance evaluations. Furthermore, the patient might be administered other diagnostic tools like blood tests or magnetic resonance imaging or computerized tomography apparatuses to rule out the possibility of tumors or other anomalies.
Potential Treatment Options
Meniere’s Disease has no known cure. However, specific treatments exist that might ameliorate associated symptoms. The specific treatment a physician employs will depend upon the severity of the patient’s symptoms and the suspected underlying cause.
However, therapies found to be relatively effective in addressing the condition include medications designed to curb dizziness and nausea, specific exercises geared towards training the brain how to counteract balance issues, and in the most severe cases, surgery to decrease inner ear fluid accumulation.