Meniere's disease - Symptoms, causes and treatment

Meniere's disease is abnormality in inner ear which gives rise to symptomin the form of dizziness (vertigo), ringing in the ears (tinnitus)nit),disappearing deafness, and ear pressure the inside part.

Basically, the inner ear has two main functions, namely converting vibrations from sound waves into signals to be conveyed to the brain and maintaining balance. These two functions can be obtained thanks to the endolymph fluid in the inner ear.

In patients with Meniere's disease, there is an abnormality in the endolymph fluid, causing hearing and balance problems.

Meniere's disease is a chronic or long-term condition. However, the symptoms do not occur all the time, but in the form of attacks at certain times. Some sufferers can find out what triggers an attack, but there are also sufferers who cannot.

Reason and Risk Factors Meniere's disease

Meniere's disease is caused by a buildup of endolymph fluid in the inner ear. Although it is not known exactly what causes this fluid buildup, there are a number of factors that can increase a person's risk of developing Meniere's disease, namely:

  • 20–60 years old
  • Have a family history of Meniere's disease
  • Suffering from autoimmune disease
  • Have an infection, such as syphilis
  • Having a head injury
  • Suffering from hormonal imbalance
  • Having migraines
  • Have a food allergy

Symptoms of Meniere's Disease

Symptoms of Meniere's disease can occur in different durations in each sufferer. Some experience it for a few minutes, others for hours.

The timing and frequency of symptoms also vary. Some sufferers experience several attacks in 1 week, but others only experience 1 attack in a few months or years.

These symptoms include:

  • Vertigo or dizziness spinning
  • Ringing or ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
  • A feeling of fullness in the ear
  • Hearing loss that comes and goes and can progress to permanent

In addition to the above symptoms, Meniere's disease can also be accompanied by the following symptoms:

  • Body balance disorder
  • Headache
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Blurred vision
  • Anxiety
  • Body shaking
  • A cold sweat

Meniere's disease is a progressive disease. This means that, over time, the disease can progress to become more severe and permanent.

When to go to the doctor

Check with your doctor if you experience symptoms of Meniere's disease, such as vertigo or hearing loss. This condition can be caused by other diseases, so early examination is needed to confirm the diagnosis and prevent complications.

Meniere's Disease Diagnosis

To diagnose Meniere's disease, the doctor will ask questions about the symptoms experienced, as well as the patient's previous medical history, and family medical history.

Doctors can suspect a patient has Meniere's disease if the patient has:

  • Tinnitus or increased pressure in the ear
  • Experiencing 2 attacks of vertigo with a duration of 20 minutes to 12 hours
  • Hearing loss

However, in order to make the diagnosis more accurate, the doctor will also perform several follow-up examinations in the form of:

Thearing ice (audiometry)

Patients with Meniere's disease tend to have difficulty hearing low-frequency sounds. Therefore, a hearing test or audiometry is performed to determine the patient's ability to hear.

The patient will be asked to hear sounds of varying pitch and volume. The results of the test will determine whether the patient has hearing loss, either in one ear or both.

balance test

One of the functions of the inner ear is to regulate body balance. Therefore, in patients with Meniere's disease, disturbances in the balance of the body can occur.

Some of the balance tests that can be done to diagnose Meniere's disease are:

  • Videonystagmography (VNG), to assess balance function by looking at nystagmus movements in the eyes
  • Rotary-chair test (swivel chair test), to assess balance function based on eye movement nystagmus when the chair is rotated
  • Electrocochleography (ECoG), to see the electrical response of the nerves in the inner ear to sound stimuli
  • Video head impulse test (vHIT), to determine the reaction of the eye when given a sudden movement stimulus
  • Posturography, to determine the part of the balance system that is disturbed
  • Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP), to measure sound sensitivity in the vestibular (balance regulating nerve)

Scan

Although rarely performed, scans such as an MRI or CT scan of the brain can be used to rule out the possibility that the symptoms of Meniere's disease are caused by another condition, such as a brain tumor or a brain tumor.multiple sclerosis.

Meniere's Disease Treatment

Meniere's disease is a chronic condition that cannot be completely cured. However, some treatments can be done to relieve the symptoms. Some of these treatments are:

Drugs

Doctors can prescribe some of the following medications to relieve the symptoms of Meniere's disease experienced by the patient:

  • Anti-nausea drugs, such as dimenhydrinate and promethazine, to reduce the sensation of spinning and control nausea and vomiting when the patient has vertigo
  • Diuretic drugs, to reduce excess endolymph fluid in the inner ear
  • Gentamicin, to relieve vertigo symptoms
  • Corticosteroids, such as dexamethasone, to relieve irritation of the inner ear that can worsen vertigo symptoms, and reduce the risk of hearing loss

Therapy

There are several non-invasive therapies and procedures that can be used to relieve the symptoms of Meniere's disease, including:

  • Vestibular nerve rehabilitation therapy, to relieve vertigo symptoms
  • Meniett, to relieve vertigo, ringing, and a feeling of fullness in the ear that is difficult to treat, by using a device that puts pressure on the middle ear to reduce fluid in the inner ear
  • Hearing aids, to restore decreased hearing function

Operation

If the previous treatment is not effective, the doctor will recommend the patient undergo surgery. Some types of surgery that can be done to treat Meniere's disease are:

  • Endolymphatic sac surgery

    This procedure involves deflation of the sac that holds the endolymph fluid or inserting a small tube that drains the excess endolymph fluid.

  • Vestibular nerve excision surgery

    This procedure is performed to treat vertigo in patients with Meniere's disease, without interfering with the auditory function of the inner ear.

  • Labyrinthectomy

    This procedure is done by removing the part of the inner ear that regulates hearing and balance functions, so that the ear with Meniere's disease will lose both functions. However, this procedure is only performed on patients whose hearing function is almost completely lost.

Complications of Meniere's Disease

Meniere's disease attacks, such as vertigo and hearing loss, can interfere with the sufferer's normal activities, and cause several complications, such as:

  • Injuries due to falls or accidents, due to loss of balance
  • Fatigue
  • Anxiety to depression
  • Loss of balance and permanent hearing loss
  • Severe ringing in the ears

Meniere's Disease Prevention

Meniere's disease is difficult to prevent, given the exact cause is not known. However, there are several things that can be done to reduce the risk of developing this disease and control attacks, namely:

  • Limit consumption of foods or drinks that contain salt.
  • Reduce consumption of drinks or foods that contain caffeine and alcohol.
  • Quit smoking.