Meniere's Disease

Meniere's Disease

I chose Meinere's Disease because I have a friend's mother that actually was diagnosed with Meiere's Disease of the inner ear. Studies have shown that Meniere's disease is common in 200 out of 100,000 people, and usually occurs in people that are 40 years of age or older.

Meniere's inner ear disease is caused usually by, " Distention of the endolymphatic compartment of the inner ear." This dieseae strictly deals with the fluid flowing in the inner ear. It usually only happens in one of a patients ears. Why a person will suddenly have Meniere's diease is unknown. Sometimes Meniere's Disease will just suddenly appear and can be triggered from trauma or a fall. Symptoms of Meniere's Disease include: episodes of vertigo, feeling like the room is spinning, ringing in the ear, feeling like there is a pressure in the ear, and also hearing loss that will just come and go throughout the attack. MRI is used to have different pictures in different planes to help rule out different pathologies that could have the same symptoms as Menieres disease to help with a faster diagnosis, if the patient does have Meniere's disease.

TREATMENT

Treatment for Meniere's disease strictly depends on how bad a persons attack is and how bad there attacks are. The diesase is mostly commonly controlled through a patient's diet with limiting sodium and caffiene intake. Stress can trigger a Menieres diesase attack as well. If a person has a lot of pressure in there ear a Diuretic or water pill can be prescribed to help with the pressure. The Vertigo and Nausea are treated with Dramamine and Antivert. For drastic cases surgery can be performed to prevent further deteriortation of hearing loss. The decision to operate on the patient is purely up to the patient and there are risks of going deaf involved with Menieres Disease and if surgery is opted for as well. Smoking (JUSTIN) has been linked to the occurance of Meniere's disease, but some studies do not think that is a credible statement, but other studies that have been performed say that some patients when quitting smoking their attacks and symptoms were no longer there.

My friend's mother went to a specialist for her Meniere's Disease and they told her there wasn't a lot they could do with her, although she does drink a lot of caffiene and eats a lot of sodium and she has been trying to control her Meniere's disease with diet she has been trying to come up with some kind of cure without surery, so that she doesn't eventually lose her hearing for good. She said that deafness is what eventually will happen in that ear.