If you experience episodes of hearing loss, dizziness and/or tinnitus (ringing in the ears), you may be diagnosed with Ménière’s disease. Unfortunately, there is no cure for this condition, but there are ways to manage it. We review some of your options below.
Lifestyle Changes
The first line of defense against Ménière’s disease is lifestyle changes, such as:
- Limiting salt. Eating foods and drinking beverages that contain a lot of salt can increase the amount of water in your body, including in your inner ear. Spreading out your salt intake throughout the day and limiting sodium to about 2,300 milligrams per day may help prevent episodes.
- Limiting caffeine. Another potential trigger for Ménière’s disease is caffeine. If you’re unsure of whether it’s triggering yours, consider keeping a food and drink journal and noting whenever you have attacks.
Medications
If lifestyle modifications aren’t enough to manage your Ménière’s disease, medications may be prescribed, such as:
- Diuretics. These medications lower the amount of fluid in the body, including in the inner ear.
- Betahistine. This type of drug eases vertigo symptoms by improving blood flow to the inner ear.
- Motion sickness and anti-nausea medications. Medications like meclizine, diazepam, and promethazine can help control symptoms of vertigo and prevent vomiting.
Noninvasive Therapies
Some noninvasive therapies that can provide benefits include:
- Hearing aids. If your Ménière’s disease includes hearing loss as a symptom, an audiologist may prescribe hearing aids.
- Vestibular rehabilitation. This can help improve your balance during attacks.
Middle Ear Injections
Some medications are injected into the middle ear rather than taken orally. These include:
- Steroids. Steroids like dexamethasone can help control vertigo without causing further hearing loss.
- Gentamicin. This is an antibiotic; however, sometimes further hearing loss is a side effect.
Surgery
Surgeries that may help with Ménière’s disease include:
- Endolymphatic sac surgery. This sac helps control inner ear fluid levels, and surgery can help relieve pressure around it.
- Labyrinthectomy. This involves removing part of the ear that causes vertigo.
- Vestibular nerve section. This procedure entails cutting the vestibular nerve to block information about movement from the brain.
For more information about treatment for Ménière’s disease or to schedule an appointment with a hearing health expert, call Alpine Ear Nose & Throat PC today.