Meniere's Disease, or Endolymphatic
Hydrops, Is A Condition Affecting the Nerves of One or Both Inner Ears.
Normal Ear Function
Each inner ear has two nerves running side by side: the balance
(vestibular) nerve and the hearing (acoustic) nerve. Normally the balance nerve
will send and receive messages twenty four hours a day to keep your body in
whatever position you choose to be in. Bending over, shifting your weight,
turning your head, etc. And the acoustic or hearing nerve is there to receive
and interpret sounds so they will have meaning for you. For instance, if you
are exposed to loud noise, you will be able to do some correction because it
feels so uncomfortable. And normally sound-wise, you have a lot of silence interspersed
with ordinary noises or unusual tones. You can handle all this
nicely. If you are exposed to some balance problem, chances are you won't know
about it, but the brain senses this imbalance and sends a message asking the
inner ear's "vestibular" or balance nerve to correct it. Unless you are "hearing-impaired"
you will have these nerves working properly, but you most likely take their
activities for granted. And it's important to know that each ear and its parts
functions fairly independently. Just as one hand can manage lots of activities,
so can the ears.
Although it can be troublesome and often terrifying, Meniere's is not something
that's contagious. Meniere's symptoms usually occur in only one ear. It affects
both ears in only about 30% of people.
Signs & Symptoms of Meniere's Disease
The signs & symptoms that cause most of the difficulty are
characterized by abnormal sensation of movement (vertigo),
hearing loss, and noises or ringing (tinnitus)
in one or both ears, and pressure or fullness in the ear. Vertigo is most easily
explained as the sensation of a room spinning out of control, but there are
different degrees of this spinning. For some people it's a very fast spin.
For others, it gets to the point of dropping to the ground without any prior
warning! And still for others, it's a gentle movement, still unpleasant, but
the person can "live with it". For some, it's a dizziness that comes and goes,
usually without warning. Tinnitus is noise: again different degrees of loudness
or shrillness. Hearing fluctuation is the changes of the sounds: high or low
pitches. And pressure or fullness in the ear is the sensation that there is
"something" in the ear, a very frustrating and uncomfortable feeling. Our nerves
automatically carry through with these messages or commands. It is our body's
intention to be "in balance" at all times, so it adjusts for any differences.
Why Do Some People Get Meniere's?
This is seen as a degenerative condition. This is not part
of the normal aging process (otherwise we would all be getting this). That means
something has worn down or been damaged. Most people get some or all of
these symptoms in different degrees or intervals at some point in their lives
and think nothing of it. With Meniere's sufferers, these "normal" activities
seem to be hindered, impaired, or completely incorrect. So messages are either
not going to be received correctly or will it be misinterpreted and
returned with a false command, because the nerves that should be receiving the
"information" are not healthy (for whatever reason). Your may not think very
much about these symptoms until you have someone close to you do something very
strange. But I would like to be just a bit clearer, so if you ever have an occasion
to see this in real life, your reactions will be sympathetic, helpful, and resourceful.
For instance, being able to hear someone speak (acoustic) to you one minute
and not being able to hear them at all the next second, is rather unnerving
and distressing. But standing upright one minute and finding yourself on the
floor, cut over an eye, is entirely another shocker! This is not a conscious
or chosen activity. The person simply has no control over the episode. Something
at that point has disturbed the inner ear's balance nerve, in a very direct
and severe way.
Causes of Meniere's Disease?
There are many theories, and none are definite. Some of the
medical community feels this is the body working against itself (auto-immune),
others feel it's a virus, and many just feel it's there because something has
damaged the inner ear nerves or tissue. It's virtually impossible to take a
direct look at the inner ear's working.
Who Can Get Meniere's Disease, and How Does it Happen?
Anyone can get this, male or female, and any age. We work
with children as young as four and five and old as 88 & 92!
Treatments for Meniere's Disease.
Traditional treatment includes giving a diuretic: a drug that
draws off excess fluid (feeling of fullness). It will most likely include a
low salt diet...again to prevent fluid build-up. It will often include a drug
to alleviate or prevent the vertigo or dizziness. And often it will include
something to help the person relax or lessen their fears of facing the unpredictability
of the symptoms. Because sufferers are willing to help each other in a somewhat
hopeless situation, many "unusual" remedies are surfacing. One of the more hopeful
ones includes a certain complete and balanced group of nutritional
supplements as recommended by medical doctors. They are achieving surprisingly
good results. Essentially they are providing appropriate nutrients to the body
to help itself.
Why does Meniere's Disease return after a long period of peace and confidence?
There is some thought, and ultimate hope, that an underlying
inflammatory reaction is occurring to create pressure on one or both of these
nerves. If this is real, then it follows that finding and dealing with this
process could eliminate these very debilitating and unpredictable symptoms.
Why Does Meniere's Affect People Differently? Why is it More Severe in
Some and Not In Everyone?
As mentioned previously, the symptoms can vary in intensity
and severity. You have to realize that the human body is different for each
person, so their reactions are completely "their own" No one CHOOSES to have
these symptoms, and they cannot predict or prevent them.
How did Meniere's Disease gets this unusual name?
"Meniere" was a French physician who recognized the group
of common symptoms and gave them his name. It is sometimes easier for the medical
community to give things a name and then everyone can recognize the required
treatment and follow through
quickly without further testing.
Prognosis: what's in store for the Meniere's sufferer?
Most doctors, after exhausting their "traditional" medical
treatments, will tell the person they "have to just live with it", an immensely
difficult and depressing "treatment"! Often
this is seen or discussed as "all being in your head" or having an over-active
imagination! How wrong that is! These symptoms are as real as having appendicitis:
yet it's not recognized the same way.
This condition has a negative affect on the entire family. Not only does the
person have the attack and knows the very real loss of control and dignity,
but they are also afraid to move in case any movement will set off even a more
severe episode.
Frequently they are speaking to a person that can't hear them very well, in
either one or both ears. That's very frustrating and tiring. They feel physically
exhausted and mentally terrified. Each episode's onset is so completely out
of their control and can come quickly without any warning. People who are not
familiar with this condition tend to avoid Meniere's sufferers, thinking they
are drunk or dangerous. How sad and
incorrect a perception!
Having a life like this, with all it's unknowns and fears of the future does
not give anyone a desirable quality of life. Many people will stop driving,
as they feel unsafe. That limits or eliminates their freedom! They know how
this affects their loved ones, but there is nothing they can do to make it better.
So the family has to tiptoe around and be very quiet. You will hear people calling
this "the beast". Can you imagine living with this degree of uncertainty every
day? At the beginning of this article I hinted at a reason for updating this
information. This condition has been a very real part of my life for almost
ten years...fearful, unpredictable, and until a few years ago, hopeless.
A round of tranquilizers, low salt diets, antidepressants, and little support
from the medical community.
Luckily for us, all that has changed because
the person who has
it, decided to step out and find solutions rather than spend the rest of all
our lives living from episode to episode. There is much to be learned and I
want to encourage you to explore different avenues. There is hope and there
may be a normal life in store for you, but you will need more information and
a willingness to see beyond the traditional treatment. Once you understand the
underlying body's responses to "invaders", you will find ways to deal with the
challenge. But then the decision will be yours to make and the traditional treatment
won't be so final and hopeless. Wouldn't it be good to realize you can have
some control over your health?
If you would like more
information on this condition and possible ways to help someone, please contact
us at 604-463-8666 (Pacific Standard Time) and
we will be happy to share whatever information we have that we were not able
to add to this website.
We have another article on the website,
What
is Meniere's Disease?, that
you also may find helpful.
|
