What is Meniere's Disease?

Meniere's Disease is a disorder of the inner ear that causes episodes of vertigo, tinnitus, a feeling of fullness or pressure in the ear, and fluctuating hearing loss.

A typical attack of Meniere's Disease may be preceded by fullness or aching in one or both ears. Hearing fluctuation and tinnitus (ringing ear or sounds in the ears) may also precede an attack.

A Meniere's episode generally involves severe vertigo (head spinning and dizziness), imbalance, nausea, and vomiting. The average attack lasts two to four hours. After a severe attack, most people find that they are extremely exhausted and must sleep for several hours.

In some people, Meniere's episodes may occur in clusters; that is, several attacks may occur within a short time. In other cases, weeks, months, or even years may pass between episodes. Between the acute attacks, most people are free of symptoms or note only mild imbalance and tinnitus.

What causes Meniere's Disease

The fluid-filled hearing and balance structures of the inner ear normally function independent of the body's overall fluid/blood system. In a normal inner ear, the fluid is maintained at a constant volume and contains specific concentrations of sodium, potassium, chloride, and other electrolytes. This fluid bathes the sensory cells of the inner ear and allows them to function normally.

Certain substances in your blood and other body fluids influence your inner ear fluid. For instance, when you eat foods that are high in salt or sugar, your blood level concentration of salt or sugar increases, and this, in turn, will affect the concentration of substances in your inner ear.

With injury or degeneration of the inner ear structures, independent control may be lost, and the volume and concentration of the inner ear fluid fluctuate with changes in the body's fluid/blood.

This fluctuation causes the symptoms of hydrops - pressure or fullness in the ears, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), hearing loss, dizziness and imbalance.

JJ Currie at www.alphatinnitusformulas.com