Meniere's is a disease caused by excessive pressure in the inner ear. In Meniere's disease, the balance organ in the inner ear is affected and the disease occurs as a result. The three main symptoms of Meniere's disease are unexpected sudden vertigo attacks, tinnitus and decreased hearing.
There is no complete cure for Meniere's disease. However, the frequency and severity of attacks can be controlled and reduced with medication. The disease, which is most common in women between the ages of 40 and 60, significantly affects quality of life. The disease was described by the French doctor Prosper Menière in 1861 and named after the doctor who described it.
Causes of Meniere's disease
Despite the researches, the cause of Meniere's disease has not been determined. The role of heredity in the occurrence of the disease or whether a previous traumatic inner ear injury can cause the disease is still under discussion.
The snail-shaped balance organ in the inner ear consists of 3 parts. Two of these parts are filled with a potassium fluid called perilymphatic fluid. Excessive production of this fluid due to various factors leads to an increase in pressure in the inner ear and causes Meniere's disease. Although the exact cause is not known, some allergies or infections are thought to cause excessive production of the fluid.
Symptoms of Meniere's disease
Meniere's disease is characterised by episodes of tinnitus and unilateral hearing loss accompanied by vertigo. In vertigo, people feel that they think the surroundings are spinning very rapidly. Patients suffering from vertigo may need to be hospitalised. Because vertigo can be so severe. Dizziness may cause complaints such as nausea and vomiting in some patients.
The most common symptom that patients complain about is vertigo. Because it starts without any symptoms and can continue for hours and even days.
In addition, hearing loss manifests itself with difficulty in hearing thick sounds. While hearing loss is initially seen only with the attack, it may become permanent after the attack in the following years. Many patients also describe a feeling of pressure in the ear during attacks.
In addition to these main features of Meniere's disease, patients often appear pale and complain of sweating. There is a tremor of the eyes, medically called nystagmus. Attacks in Meniere's disease occur suddenly and unexpectedly. These attacks often last for 10 to 20 minutes. But sometimes they may continue for hours or days. Due to unexpected attacks, depression and anxiety symptoms may occur in patients. This can trigger Meniere's attacks and cause a vicious cycle.
