Meniere’s disease is a complex clinical condition of the inner ear that manifests as attacks of vertigo or spinning vertigo associated with hearing loss, a feeling of pressure in the ear, and ringing or ringing in the ears. About 2.6 million people in Europe and the United States suffer from Meniere’s disease. Learn more about the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of Meniere’s disease here.
Meniere’s disease: symptoms and diagnosis
Without warning, Konrad G., 42 years old and a teacher by profession, felt a strong pressure in the right side of his skull one evening. A little later, he became dizzy, felt that everything was spinning around him, then he had to vomit. Later, the dizziness subsided, but he felt a pressure in the right ear and had the feeling of bad hearing.
The very next day he went to see his doctor. The family doctor immediately suspected that a disease of the inner ear was the cause of the complaints. Meniere’s disease, named after the French physician Prosper Menière (1799-1862), negatively affects the sense of balance and indeed applied to Konrad G.. In many patients, however, the disease is not properly diagnosed and a long journey through many specialists leads to the correct diagnosis only late in life.
In industrialized nations, it is estimated that every 1000th person suffers from Meniere’s disease. Especially people between the ages of 40 and 60 are affected by the disease of the inner ear. In every fifth patient, this disease already exists in the family.
Too much fluid in the inner ear
Meniere’s disease symptoms occur because too much fluid accumulates in the labyrinth of the inner ear, the part of the inner ear responsible for the sense of balance and hearing. The cochlea and semicircular canals are located in the inner ear. They consist of bones lined with a soft membrane. A fluid circulates in the cochlea and the semicircular canals – it is called endolymph. In the cochlea, the movement of the endolymph is triggered by sound waves. This is how sound signals are sent to the brain.
The movement of the endolymph in the semicircular canals provides the brain with information about the position of the body. If there is now increased pressure in the inner ear due to an excessive amount of endolymphatic fluid, its ducts may swell and their function may be restricted as a result. As a result of the pressure in the auditory center, the brain receives confusing acoustic signals such as noises or ringing (tinnitus) or it no longer receives any signals at all (hearing loss).
With excessive pressure in the vestibular organ, the brain receives error messages regarding movement and body position – vertigo develops. The seizures manifest themselves very differently: they can occur infrequently to frequently. And they can last from minutes to several hours. After the seizure, affected persons are initially exhausted, but mostly symptom-free.
Meniere’s disease: causes unknown
The exact Meniere’s disease causes of this inner ear disease are not known. As possible causes, doctors suspect changes in metabolic and hormonal balance, and circulatory disorders, stress and psychological factors are also possible. The development of Meniere’s disease varies from person to person. In more than two-thirds of patients, symptoms gradually improve and dizziness decreases over time. In the remaining patients, the vertigo attacks and tinnitus get worse and their hearing steadily declines.
