Meniere's disease (Morbus Meniere)

Definition and causes

Meniere's disease is a disorder of the inner ear that causes attacks of dizziness, tinnitus and hearing impairment. Between attacks, there are no early symptoms, later permanent hearing impairment and tinnitus. The disease occurs most often in middle age and environment at approx. 75% only one ear.

It is not yet entirely clear what causes the disease, but it is a state with high pressure in the inner ear. The inner ear consists ofarchway, There is a balance board, andsnailIn which sound waves are transformed into a nerve signal (see the ears structure and function). There is fluid in both of these, and you think that attack occurs when fluid from one section suddenly mixed with fluid from another because of small flaw in any one membrane in the inner ear. There arises thereby pressure changes in the inner ear, affecting the archway and the snail.

Symptoms of Meniere's disease

Quite characteristic of this disease is that the following symptoms occur in attacks:

Profuse dizziness. Often it feels like surroundings twirl, which was Monday in a carousel. Often this leads to nausea and vomiting.
Tinnitus.
Feeling the pressure in the ear.
Hearing impairment and the perception of lydindtryk.

Seizures begins suddenly and jockey for the most part within a few hours. Between attacks, both tinnitus and hearing impairments often be present, only milder than during the attack. Many experiencing the deterioration of hearing and tinnitus preceding the attack.

Select and complications

Some have a mild course of relatively short duration. It is, however, typical of years of progress, and some are experiencing severe and debilitating cycle of Meniere's disease. Seizures after a period usually mitigated, so that particularly dizzy unit is rarer and less violent. There will eventually cause a pronounced hearing loss, and there may be large genes associated with tinnitus.

Precautions and diagnosis

If you are experiencing these symptoms should seek medical advice. During the attack, is a good idea to lie down, because due to the severe dizziness is a risk that we may fall. Since diseases can be exacerbated by stress, we must as far as possible to avoid this.

The diagnosis is often made from the typical medical history. The doctor will also check your hearing and find that reduced, particularly in the bass. In addition, the function of the archway of a so-calledkalorisktrial, Which sprayed water at certain temperature (hot and cold) into the ear canal. This usually triggers distinctive eye movements (called nystagmus). These may be missing or abnormal in Meniere's disease as an indication that the archway is not functioning optimally.

Treatment of Meniere's disease

Medical:

Antihistamineslike. cinnazerin or betahistin. These are probably better known as seasickness pills. It should be noted that these drugs can be sedative and is equipped with a warning triangle. You should not drive or operate dangerous machinery after ingestion.
Sedatehave some effect on the unpleasant experience, it is to have seizures of Meniere's disease. You should not use these drugs for a long time, since there is a risk of becoming dependent. Sedate is also equipped with warning triangle.

Surgical:

Chemical labyrintektomi: In a local anesthetic open ear drum, which sprayed a substance that is toxic to the inner ear (gentamycin), into the middle ear. This put the function of archway, while hearing from some. 90% preserved. Often carried out the treatment 2 days in a row.
Labyrintektomi: This is an operation which destroys the inner ear, so that it can no longer give rise to symptoms. It also means unfortunately that hearing on that particular ear is lost, why they only carry out this operation if there is good hearing on the opposite ear.
Over Trimming the balance nerve: In this operation cut Monday nerve (nerve vestibularis), which leads balanced signal from the archway to the brain, above. Hearing can be preserved, but it is a difficult opertion, since it is difficult to get into the blood without damaging surrounding structures.