Dealing With Meniere’s Disease
Meniere’s disease is a condition characterized by severe episodes of vertigo, tinnitus, and fluctuating hearing loss. The condition is caused by increase of fluid pressure in the inner ears. For most sufferers, meniere’s disease is a disconcerting disease that disables a person temporarily during attacks. It affects the balance center in the inner ears causing severe cases of vertigo, which can last for several hours, and the afflicted will have to lie down and be bedridden until the whirling sensation lasts.
There is no cure for meniere’s disease. Doctors only give medications to counteract or reduce the duration or severity of attacks. The attacks happen spontaneously without warning. Treatment for meniere’s disease varies among patients, but it usually begins with simple and non-invasive methods. Diuretic medications are usually relied upon for this condition. Diuretics remove excess fluid in the body and help relieve fluid pressure in the inner ear. Food items that alter the fluid balance in the body should be avoided. These are caffeine-laden drinks, salt, and alcohol. Different drugs are also used to reduce symptoms during attacks. Valium and corticosteroid prednisone are some of them. Some medications need to be injected directly into the ears. One of them is gentamicin, which is actually a broad spectrum antibiotic delivered through injection.
The last resort may be surgery involving decompression of the endolymphatic sac, labyrinthectomy, or vestibular neurectomy. Surgery is invasive and the effectiveness is arbitrary. Surgery is also employed as a new treatment for tinnitus or hearing loss during dire cases but is chosen only be a rare few.
