If you have dizziness and nausea associated with Meniere’s disease, you may be tempted to take medications to help you get through your day. Meclizine (Antivert), a medication similar to Dramamine (a common over-the-counter motion sickness medication), can help to ease your symptoms. This medication, which takes about 40 minutes to take effect, works by sedating the patient and suppressing nausea and vomiting. The medication can be taken several hours before you travel, but some patients find that taking them an hour or two before you board the plane can be helpful.
Symptoms
Meniere’s disease symptoms include dizziness, uneasiness, and vertigo. These symptoms are often accompanied by hearing loss. They may be mild or severe, depending on the individual. Fortunately, there are many treatment options. If you’re experiencing these symptoms, talk to a doctor immediately.
People with Meniere’s disease have recurrent episodes of vertigo lasting anywhere from 20 minutes to a few hours. They may also experience temporary loss of hearing, which can be permanent. These episodes may be triggered by bright lights or loud noises. Other symptoms may include tinnitus or a full sensation in the ear. If you are experiencing these symptoms on a regular basis, your doctor may recommend medication to help relieve them.
Hearing loss is one of the most common Meniere’s disease symptoms, but they can also be associated with other ailments. Tinnitus, for example, can be a ringing, buzzing, or whistling sound. Other symptoms of Meniere’s disease include pressure or fullness in the ear.
There’s no definitive cause for Meniere’s disease, but researchers believe it’s a disorder of the inner ear. This organ is important for maintaining balance and determining your position, which helps you walk upright. In people with the disease, excess endolymph in the inner ear interferes with these nerve receptors, causing a spinning sensation that affects both hearing and balance.
There’s no single test for Meniere’s disease, so diagnosis is often made through interviewing and examinations. Doctors may also consider the signs and symptoms of other inner-ear disorders. In addition to hearing loss, patients with the disorder often experience fatigue and stress.
Causes
Symptoms of Meniere’s disease include hearing loss, vertigo, and tinnitus. Treatments for Meniere’s disease are non-invasive and include medications, vestibular rehabilitation, dietary modifications, and counselling. The most common method is to monitor the child’s balance.
The primary cause of Meniere’s disease is a buildup of fluid inside the cochlea. This fluid moves in response to sounds, sending messages to the brain. When the fluid inside the cochlea is damaged, the sensory cells in the inner ear do not function properly, causing hearing and balance problems.
Other symptoms of Meniere’s disease may include vertigo, nausea, and loss of balance. The disease may also lead to permanent hearing loss. In older people, the condition can be the trigger for falls. However, there are effective treatments for vertigo, nausea, and severe dizziness.
Another common cause of Meniere’s disease is inflammation. Inflammation changes the blood flow and reduces the absorption of endolymph, which results in fluid accumulation in the inner ear. Inflammation in the inner ear may also result in reactivation of herpes simplex virus in the vestibular ganglion.
Generally, Meniere’s disease is not associated with age, but it is most common in people aged 40 to 60. According to the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, about 615,000 people in the United States are affected by the disorder and around 45,500 new cases occur each year.
Excessive salt intake can aggravate symptoms. For adults, it is important to eat no more than 460-920 mg of sodium daily. One teaspoon of salt has about 2,300 mg of sodium. Processed foods are often high in sodium. Moreover, smoking and alcohol can constrict the blood vessels. Quitting smoking is another common way to improve symptoms.
Treatments
Treatments for Meniere’s disease aim to control the symptoms, such as vertigo, and prevent the condition from progressing to the point where a patient can no longer live normally. These treatments may involve taking diuretics or surgery, or they may include lifestyle changes. Some treatments are designed to improve hearing or reduce fatigue. These therapies can also be accompanied by counseling sessions to cope with the condition.
The severity and frequency of attacks varies widely among individuals with Meniere’s disease. Some patients experience attacks in clusters, and then experience remission for months or years. Other patients experience episodes of vertigo and hearing loss that gradually progress to the classic symptoms of the disease. Rarely, the disease can be triggered by head trauma or viral infections. Regardless of the cause of the disease, it is important to seek medical attention as soon as symptoms appear.
If the underlying cause of your condition is an allergy, you may want to try allergy treatment. In some cases, allergy shots or special diets can help control symptoms. Your doctor may also prescribe immunosuppression. In addition to allergy treatment, you can try the Meniett device, a device that delivers a series of low-pressure pulses that are said to cause fluid displacement inside the inner ear, which can relieve symptoms. While this technology is relatively new, it has proven effective in some patients.
Meniere’s disease occurs in episodes, which last twenty minutes to several hours. In severe cases, patients experience vertigo, hearing loss, and nausea. In some cases, these episodes occur every few days, and can go on for years. However, in many cases, patients will eventually cease experiencing symptoms.
Exercises
There are several exercises that can be performed to help with the dizziness associated with Meniere’s disease. It is recommended to start with a low intensity level and gradually build up. It is important to remember to do the exercises in a safe environment. This will reduce the chance of injury. When starting the exercises, you may experience mild dizziness during the first few days. This is normal.
The vestibular system is a system of organs located in the inner ear that coordinates input to the brain. Any misfire in this system can disrupt your sense of balance. Meniere’s disease is believed to be a problem of the vestibular system, resulting in vision, posture, and cognitive challenges.
A simple exercise to help with Meniere’s disease is to walk. Walking helps build strength and improve balance. It also helps people with the disease feel more confident about their abilities. However, they should be aware that walking increases their risk of falling. Therefore, it is best to exercise near a wall or a room that has handrails. It is also advisable to exercise with a partner or family member.
Exercises for Meniere’s disease are an essential part of treating the condition. Since the condition is caused by an abnormal volume of fluid in the inner ear, it is essential to improve the way you move. This can be done through physical therapy, as well as dietary modifications and nutritional strategies.
One such exercise is the Romberg exercise. To perform this exercise, stand with your feet together and your arms by your sides. Repeat this movement as many times as you can, building up to a minute at a time. For best results, do the exercises three to five times a day.
Mental disability
Meniere’s disease, or endolymphatic hydrops, can severely affect a person’s balance and hearing. The symptoms can be exhausting, and without proper treatment, they can lead to long-term disability. There is no known cure, and this condition can result in secondary emotional and cognitive problems, which can significantly affect a person’s life.
People with deafness are twice as likely to suffer from mental health issues as people without the disease. Deaf individuals also face practical and social challenges. In addition, people with even mild hearing loss are twice as likely to experience dementia. Vestibular disorders also increase the risk of cognitive impairments and anxiety. Because of the connection between Meniere’s disease and mental disability, it is important to seek medical attention and mental health care.
Researchers have found that patients with Meniere’s disease experience both positive and negative experiences related to the condition. Although this illness can negatively impact a person’s quality of life, many sufferers are able to live with it and reduce its negative impact on their lives. Support is key, as this can help to limit the negative impact that the disease can have on a person’s sense of self.
Patients with Meniere’s disease also suffer from increased levels of daily hassles, and are less task-oriented, especially in stressful situations. Additionally, 63% of patients with the disease display symptoms of psychopathology, such as depression and anxiety. These conditions can also delay recovery and add to a person’s emotional distress.
Only a few qualitative studies have been conducted on Meniere’s disease. These studies were conducted on a limited number of participants. Furthermore, the accounts were not authored by the participants; the data were collected using semi-structured face-to-face interviews. The researchers took into account the limitations of the method and emphasized the need for latitude. They found that patients with Meniere’s disease often had difficulty finding meaning in the new social practices that they had taken on.
