Ménière’s disease is a rare inner ear condition that affects your balance and hearing. Symptoms of Ménière’s disease include vertigo, tinnitus, and hearing loss challenges.
While there’s no known cure for Ménière’s disease yet, quite often, the challenges associated with the disease lessen over the years. It’s common for those over 50 or 60 to not see issues with Ménière’s disease after a certain age.
If you suspect that you may be dealing with Ménière’s disease, or believe a loved one may have it, there are a few things to know about what caused it and how to treat it.
What Causes Ménière’s Disease?
The cause of Ménière’s disease is unclear, but it’s often been associated with several different factors, including genetic likelihood and environmental factors.
One of the most common causes associated with Ménière’s disease is a buildup of fluid in the inner ear, which is tested via a comprehensive hearing assessment and taking a look at other symptoms present.
Symptoms of Ménière’s disease include:
- Vertigo, or feeling like the room is spinning around you
- Losing your balance frequently
- Ringing or buzzing sounds in the affected ear(s), known as tinnitus
- Hearing loss challenges
- Ear pain or discomfort deep inside your ear
How Do I Treat Ménière’s Disease?
While there is no cure for Ménière’s disease, there are options for treatments that vary from managing your diet to specific medications for vertigo.
One of the most common ways to help manage Ménière’s disease is through a diuretic: a water pill that helps stabilize the fluid levels in the inner ear.
Prescription hearing aids can also help for hearing loss challenges associated with Ménière’s disease, as well as tinnitus therapy and balance rehabilitation.
While there have been surgeries done on the inner ear to help alleviate Ménière’s disease, their successes are varied. Less invasive solutions have shown to help much more.
How Hearing & Balance Doctors Can Help
While our team at Hearing & Balance Doctors can determine if the cause of your hearing loss, tinnitus, or balance challenges is due to Ménière’s disease, an ENT doctor will be able to provide more in-depth recommendations for medications to help treat it.
For more information about hearing care and what it can do to help you, or to chat through your unique situation with a member of our team, please feel free to request a callback and we’ll get in touch as soon as we can.
Alternatively, for a more immediate conversation, you can contact us over the phone at your closest clinic.
