Meniere’s disease is a chronic inner ear disorder that affects your sense of balance and hearing. It can cause repeated episodes of vertigo, tinnitus, and hearing loss. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), approximately 615,000 Americans have this disorder, and 45,500 new cases are diagnosed each year. Keep reading to learn more about Meniere’s disease, including its causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.
What Causes Meniere’s Disease?
Meniere’s disease is a rare condition that affects the inner ear. The disease was originally thought to be caused by problems in the brain until Prosper Ménière, a French doctor, discovered that it originated in the inner ear. Meniere’s disease is caused by a buildup of fluid called endolymph inside the cochlea and vestibular labyrinth in the inner ear. These two organs are essential for hearing and spatial awareness. The exact cause of this buildup of fluid is unknown, but researchers believe that something must disrupt how the body balances making and breaking down endolymph in the ear. Possible disturbances could include autoimmune conditions, allergic reactions, viral infections, genetic factors, or the narrowing of blood vessels similar to those that cause migraines.
Symptoms of Meniere’s Disease
Symptoms of Meniere’s disease occur in episodes that can last as little as 20 minutes or as long as 24 hours. You can experience episodes back-to-back or daily, or you could go long periods between episodes with no symptoms (remission). Symptoms most often occur in one ear, but they can also affect both ears. The primary symptoms of Meniere’s disease include:
- Vertigo or episodes of dizziness, which may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sweating
- Loss of balance
- Hearing loss that may come and go but usually worsens over time
- Tinnitus, which may sound like ringing, buzzing, whistling, roaring, or hissing in the ear
- Feeling of fullness or pressure in the ear called aural fullness
- Headaches
How Is Meniere’s Disease Diagnosed?
To diagnose Meniere’s disease, a healthcare professional will review your health history and perform a physical exam. In order to be diagnosed with the disease, you need to have two or more vertigo attacks, tinnitus or feeling of fullness or pressure in the ear, and hearing loss confirmed by a hearing test. Your provider may also prescribe other tests to help figure out what’s causing your symptoms, such as:
- Electronystagmogram (ENG) or videonystagmography (VNG)
- Vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP)
- Rotary chair testing
- Computerized dynamic posturography (CDP)
- Electrocochleography
- Video head impulse test (vHIT)
- Imaging scans such as MRI or CT
- Lab tests
Treatment Options
There is no cure for Meniere’s disease. However, your symptoms can be improved with treatment. Your healthcare provider will likely begin with noninvasive treatments with the fewest side effects and then proceed to more invasive treatments if your symptoms continue or worsen. Lifestyle changes such as reducing sodium in your diet, drinking more water, and avoiding certain foods may be recommended to help relieve symptoms. Your doctor may also prescribe medicines to treat dizziness or vertigo. These medications could include:
- Anti-vertigo medicines such as betahistine
- Anti-nausea medicines such as hyoscine, prochlorperazine, and ondansetron
- Motion sickness medicines such as diazepam, lorazepam, and meclizine
- Diuretic medicines such as hydrochlorothiazide and triamterene to decrease inner ear fluid
Other therapy options your doctor may recommend could include dietary supplements, vestibular rehabilitation therapy, pressure pulse treatment, psychological therapy, middle ear injections, or surgery.
Compounded Betahistine at Midtown Express Pharmacy
An option to treat Meniere’s disease is betahistine because it can relieve pressure from the excess fluid in the inner ear and increase levels of several neurotransmitters to improve vertigo symptoms. Here at Midtown Express Pharmacy, our pharmacists can create compounded betahistine to meet your specific needs. Reach out to us today to learn more about compounded betahistine and how it can help you!
