Hearing and Balance

/ Audiologist, Hearing Aids, Hearing Test, Tinnitus / By

MENIERE'S DISEASE

Meniere’s disease is a disorder of the inner ear. 

It causes vertigo, the sensation of spinning, and hearing problems. The cause of Meniere’s disease isn’t known. But it can be treated with medicine to reduce symptoms and prevent attacks from happening again.

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If you have Meniere’s disease, your doctor may prescribe medicines that treat or relieve the dizziness caused by this condition. These medications include diuretics (water pills), vasodilators (blood vessel relaxers) and antihistamines (medicine for allergy relief). You should also talk to your doctor about avoiding triggers that could bring on an attack, such as stress or too much salt in your diet. 

Meniere’s disease usually affects only one ear and can be difficult to diagnose because it has similar symptoms as other disorders such as migraines, stroke or brain tumors. Meniere’s disease is a chronic condition that can be helped by lifestyle changes and treatments. Many people will go into remission after diagnosis, but not all of them. When left untreated, Meniere’s disease may cause a rollercoaster of emotions and stress to the patient. 

Meniere’s disease is often connected to headaches and dizziness, so it’s important to use the right balance of medications to keep these symptoms under control. Whether or not you will experience long-term complications depends on the severity of your case.

WE ARE HERE TO HELP:

We offer an accurate diagnosis of your illness by using our advanced diagnostic equipment at PA Center for Hearing and Balance. Our audiologist will perform tests to determine if there are any underlying conditions causing your symptoms and additional tests if needed depending on your case history or results from previous testing performed elsewhere . If you have been diagnosed with Meniere’s Disease we will provide treatment options based on how severe your symptoms are.    

Meniere’s Disease and Diet

One way to ease symptoms of Meniere’s disease is by changing your diet. Some food you should limit or exclude include salt, caffeine, chocolate, alcohol (bingeing only exacerbates the problem), and monosodium glutamate (MSG). It’s also important to drink six-eight glasses of water per day so your body isn’t retaining fluid. 

Lifestyle Changes for Meniere’s Disease

Smoking and allergens can worsen Meniere’s disease. But, if you make lifestyle changes like proper eating habits, stress control, and quitting smoking – symptoms may improve.

Our take on Meniere’s Disease

There may be no cure for Meniere’s disease but there are many strategies you can try to reduce your symptoms. In most cases people will experience spontaneous remission after years without medication. If you’re in the Springfield, PA area and would want to reach out to experts, schedule your appointment at PA Center for Hearing and Balance. 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The exact cause of Meniere’s disease is yet to be established. But based on the numerous research carried out by scientists and medical researchers, it could be related to an autoimmune disorder or allergies. Others believe the problem is genetic while some also posit that excess body fluid, specifically in the inner ear is triggering Meniere’s disease.

 

Meniere’s disease symptoms usually manifest as “episodes” or “attacks.” 

These symptoms include: 
     • Vertigo 
     • Hearing loss 
     • Tinnitus 
     • Ringing in the ear(s)

In recent years, there has been an increased incidence of Meniere’s Disease in the United States. This condition is characterized by a series of recurring attacks that are followed by periods without any symptoms at all – it can take up to 21 days for another episode to occur after one has subsided. The most common symptom associated with this disorder is vertigo – a sensation that events around you are spinning or moving too fast as if you were on a merry-go-round.

Meniere’s disease can be difficult to diagnose because its symptoms are similar to those of other conditions. The diagnosis is important, since the treatment for Meniere’s disease is different from the treatments for other causes of balance and hearing problems.  The ears will need to be checked with an instrument called an otoscope, and a doctor may also carry out an audiogram to check how well you hear certain sounds in each ear. Your medical history will also be checked to find out whether anyone else in your family has had balance problems or dizziness. Some doctors often order imaging tests like CT scans or MRI scans to rule out other possible causes of your symptoms.   Both hearing tests and balance tests help your care team diagnose Meniere’s Disease.

 

A hearing test is the most accurate way to determine if you have a hearing loss. It consists of various tones with varying volumes, and you need to respond when you can or cannot hear the tone. The technician will use this information to assess your condition and see if any changes need to be made in order for you to get adequate sound quality. 

Your hearing will also be tested to check if you can tell the difference between similar sounds. In this part of the test, you’ll be asked to repeat words that you hear. The results of this test will tell your doctor if there might be a problem with one or both ears that could manifest as difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments or not being able to distinguish different voices. 

Your hearing is more than just the sound that you hear. It’s also about how well your ear and brain can process what’s going on in the world around you. So, if something goes wrong with your ears, someone might think it means all of your hearing has been cut off. But, actually not being able to understand people when they speak is only one symptom of a problem in your inner ear or nerve on the side of your head that controls hearing. That’s why an electrocochleography (ECog) test is done to measure electrical activity in the inner ear while an auditory brainstem response (ABR) test checks for problems with nerves and other parts of the central nervous system used for hearing.

The balance test is the most common method used to find signs of Meniere’s disease. The electrodes are placed around your eyes and you will be asked to follow a pattern on the computer screen while it flashes in different shapes, sizes, and colors. Occasionally you will hear loud noises that you have to ignore as they occur randomly during the test. If your response rate slows or if you stop following the stimulus for more than 15 seconds, then this could signify an issue with your inner ear which would mean possible diagnosis of Meniere’s disease. 

The balance test is a simple and painless procedure. The electrodes are placed around your eyes to measure eye movement and determine the function of your inner ear. It can be used as an indicator for Meniere’s disease. 

You will be given a test that requires you to sit with your head tilted back for the duration. During this time, hot and cold water will be pushed in your ear canal, causing it to work differently than normal. Your involuntary eye movements will also be tracked during this process. Any abnormalities can indicate an inner-ear problem so please contact your doctor if you notice any changes. 

Vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) testing is a relatively new test that measures the sound sensitivity of the vestibule in your inner ear. This test is used to help determine what part of your balance system isn’t functioning properly. You will react to various balance challenges while wearing a safety harness and standing barefoot.

You may notice some symptoms of Meniere’s Disease which include dizziness, ringing in your ears, and hearing loss. If you have a brain disorder like multiple sclerosis or a tumor, these symptoms can be similar to Meniere’s. Your doctor might order additional testing to rule out other conditions that could cause the same symptoms such as MS or brain tumors. They might also order an MRI or CT scan to see if there are any issues with your brain instead of just focusing on the inner ear.

 

Meniere’s disease is one of the most common causes of dizziness in adults. In addition to making it difficult for sufferers to stand or walk, Menieres often leads to episodes where people feel like they’re spinning or being yanked around.  Meniere’s disease causes a variety of symptoms. The condition is chronic and has no cure, but there are some treatments that can help with your symptoms.  Though Meniere’s Disease has no cure, it can be treated with medication or surgical interventions for those who have the most severe forms of the illness. Speak with your doctor about which treatment may work best for you. 

 

There is no specific pharmaceutical drug that can target Meniere’s disease. 

What we have, however, are drugs that can minimize or manage the syptoms brought about by Meniere’s disease. Drugs such as motion sickness medication can reduce the severity of these symptoms, but if this does not work your doctor may prescribe an antiemetic or anti-nausea medication to help you get through the day.Vomiting is one of the most debilitating symptoms of Meniere’s disease and this can be easily managed with pharmaceutical drugs. 

Vestibular rehabilitation exercises can improve symptoms of vertigo by helping train your brain to account for the difference in balance between your two ears. If you suffer from vertigo, a physical therapist will teach you these exercises and can provide light at the end of the tunnel. 

Hearing loss is a very common symptom of Meniere’s Disease.  Should testing results indicate that you need hearing aids to address your Meniere’s disease symptoms, PA Center for Hearing and Balance is here to help. Our audiologist is trained in diagnosing and treating hearing loss.  We provide patients with hearing aids to let them hear things more clearly again. Hearing aids are typically custom made for each individual patient, so it’s important for potential patients to visit us for an assessment. 

One of the more common surgeries for Meniere’s Disease is an endolymphatic sac procedure. The surgery helps to decrease production of fluid in the inner ear and also promotes fluid drainage.

Endolymphatic sac procedures are one of the most popular surgeries performed on patients with Meniere’s Disease. This particular surgery helps decrease production and promote drainage in fluids found within your inner ear which provides much needed relief from symptoms that come with this condition such as dizziness, nausea, hearing loss, vertigo, tinnitus, or ringing in ears. 

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    Suite 201 Springfield, PA 19064
  • 905 West Sproul Rd,
    Suite 201 Springfield, PA 19064
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