subject: Meniere's Syndrome: Is That A Ringing In My Ear? [print this page] Meniere's Syndrome is a disorder of the inner ear that can result in tinnitus aka "ringing in the ear", hearing loss, vertigo and dizziness. What causes Meniere's Syndrome are still unknown by the American Academy of Otolaryngology.
however, the symptoms of the disease have been traced to a build up in fluid inside the inner ear. Permitting hearing, the elements of the inner ear are also necessary to keep our balance functioning.
The most integral part of the inner ear for hearing is the cochlea. The cochlea has the appearance of a snail shell and contains many minuscule cells and is filled with fluid.
The cells pick up sound vibrations from the middle ear and convert them to nerve impulses that are then transmitted along the auditory nerve to the brain.
Our sense of balance is centered in three semicircular canals also located within the inner ear. Each of those canals is at a right angle to the others and has fluid inside.
As we move our heads about, the fluid inside the crescent-shaped canals sloshes about as well. If too much fluid gets into either part of the inner ear, it can mess up hearing and your balance altogether.
In the beginning of Meniere's Syndrome, these symptoms can be inconsistent. You may be bothered by them one moment and then free from them the next. You may notice occasional pangs of feeling dizzy, which pass.
You may feel as though there is something in your ear, a feeling of fullness, if you will. You may hear some ringing in your ears, but it may vanish just as quickly or abruptly. And your hearing may be compromised at times, but likely only in the lower pitches.
As the disease takes hold, you can lose even more hearing. You may also find that the occasional dizziness may turn into violent bouts of vertigo, resulting in both nausea and vomiting.
It is not unusual for the nausea to become so severe that patients cannot perform their regular routines at home or work.
Approximately eighty percent of people who suffer from Meniere's disease possess the symptoms in only a single ear.
Experts in the field may diagnose Meniere's syndrome through the use of several different tests. Attending physicians may ask medical-history questions related to mumps, allergies and problems with the autoimmune system, syphilis or past ear surgery.
Your physician may also order a hearing and balance test. Special exams may also be ordered to test for increased ear fluid, as well as either a computerized tomography or magnetic resonance imaging to rule out the possibility of a tumour on the hearing and balance nerve.
Doctors believe Meniere's disease is caused by excess fluid in the inner ear. There are various forms of treatment available for Meniere's Syndrome. Many doctors begin by asking you to consume less salt and extract caffeine from your diet.
High stress environments can cause vertigo or dizziness and should be avoided by those suffering from the disease. Meniere's Syndrome may also be treated surgically. According to experts, there are many different types of surgery that may be performed for the different problems faced by those with Meniere's Syndrome.
Those patients having symptoms such as diziness and vertigo may elect to undergo endolymphatic sac surgery to alleviate their suffering. In this procedure, excess fluid in the ear is surgically reduced.
If problems with dizziness are extremely severe, labyrinthectomy may be preformed as an attempt to stop symptoms. Unfortunately, that procedure takes all of the hearing and balance function from that ear. Vestibular nerve section is a surgical option that does not cause hearing loss and alleviates the vertigo.
Vestibular nerve section is a procedure during which your surgeon will cut the nerve controlling balance at the spot in which it exits the inner ear and heads toward the brain.
A patient will stay in the hospital five to seven days after this surgery. Meningitis and spinal fluid leaks are potential risks of this procedure. Usually the Meniere's syndrome afflicts 10 out of every 100,000 people and one out of every 10 cases requires surgery.
