Meniere’s Disease

Meniere’s disease is chronic, which means that it may be life-long. However, there are various treatments and lifestyle changes that can help ease the symptoms.

A lot of people who are diagnosed with Meniere’s disease go into remission a few years after their diagnosis. So if you or a family member is diagnosed with Meniere’s disease, don’t be so worried about it. With the right treatment and partnership with a medical professional, Meniere’s disease can be won over.

Meniere’s disease may be more serious for older people because they are more prone to falls and injuries when dizzy episodes take place.

Let’s move forward – what causes Meniere’s disease?

As of writing, the cause of Meniere’s disease is still unknown. However, the majority of scientists and medical professionals believe that it might be triggered by changes in the fluid found in the tubes of the inner ear. Other triggering factors of meniere’s disease include genetics, allergies and autoimmune disease.

Up until now, there’s no clear reason or answer as to what causes Meniere’s disease. However, numerous researchers have been involved in trying to uncover the cause or causes of Meniere’s disease and what might affect the inner ear fluid.

The following instances may affect the body fluid in the inner ear:

•  Poor drainage due to abnormal structure or blockage in the ear
•  Allergic reaction
•  Autoimmune response
•  Genetics
•  Viral infection
•  Migraines
•  Injury or concussion to the head

Now that we know that Meniere’s disease has a lot of triggering factors, we’ll discuss certain foods that can trigger this condition.

Diet may play a big role in triggering or reducing the symptoms of Meniere’s diseases. If you have been diagnosed with Meniere’s disease, you need to limit or exclude the following from your diet:

 • monosodium glutamate (MSG)
 • alcohol
 • salt
 • caffeine
 • chocolate

Try to steer clear of alcohol, junk food (chips), coffee, soft drinks and chocolate. As you can see, they are all triggers for Meniere’s disease, so can you just imagine how your body would react if you’re going to binge eat all those stuff?

We also advise drinking the needed number of glasses of water per day – so that’s six to eight glasses. This is to make sure that your body will not be retaining fluid which could trigger Meniere’s disease. Remember, Meniere’s disease is connected to the status of your body fluid.

Aside from dietary changes, we also recommend lifestyle changes to help alleviate Meniere’s disease symptoms.

Rest during and after vertigo attacks. Eat healthy and regularly to help your body regulate fluids. 

As much as possible, you need to manage your reaction to stressful situations. Once you feel an unpleasant emotion or feel really stressed, Meniere’s disease symptoms may surface. You can manage stress and anxiety through meditation, therapy or medication.

Nicotine and allergies are also known to make Meniere’s symptoms worse. If you are a smoker, you might need to cut down on your cigarette intake to avoid triggering allergies and worsening your Meniere’s disease.

There’s also a study by Dona Kiossef published in AHA Journal that came to a conclusion that a patient with Meniere’s disease may exhibit irregular blood pressure during stress, even while taking hypertensive medications. It’s also worth noting that even after the stressor has disappeared, the blood pressure remained to be elevated and in some cases, continued to rise.

We don’t need to re-emphasize the importance of seeking medical attention to deal with Meniere’s disease.

You may be prescribed medications to help you with vomiting, vertigo, and nausea. For these symptoms, doctors may prescribe you with an anti-nausea or antiemetic medication. Take note that there is no existing pharmaceutica drug that can treat Meniere’s disease. The drugs offered can only manage the symptoms.

Since Meniere’s disease has something to do with fluids in the inner ear, you may also be prescribed a diuretic to aid in reducing the amount of fluid in your body. Medications may also be injected into the inner ear via your middle ear to help ease vertigo symptoms.

A doctor may also give you steroids if it’s established that Meniere’s disease is triggered by an underlying immune system issue.

Also known as vestibular rehabilitation, these exercises can improve symptoms of vertigo. With these exercises, your brain can be trained to account for the difference in balance between your ears.

When Meniere’s disease brings hearing loss, an audiologist is the best person to seek. At Hearing Health Center, we can manage hearing loss, whether it’s brought about by Meniere’s disease or any other trigger. 

If you have mild to moderate hearing loss because of Meniere’s disease, we believe that hearing aids can help. Hearing aids can significantly increase the amount of sounds you can hear.

If you are in Osseo, MN and would want to see an audiologist to deal with hearing loss brought about by Meniere’s disease, come see us for a hearing assessment and hearing aid fittings.

Usually, people with Meniere’s disease don’t need surgery. However, surgery is an option for people who have suffered or are suffering from severe attacks or who haven’t had any success with other treatments.

Surgery for Meniere’s disease may include an endolymphatic sac procedure. This is done to help lower the production of fluid and facilitate fluid drainage in the inner ear.