Can you imagine what it would feel like to live without hearing any sound? No laughter or whispers from your family or friends. No lengthy conversations from your significant others or music from YouTube or Spotify. What would you feel if you had Meniere’s disease hearing loss? Is there a way to resolve your condition? More importantly, is it a permanent symptom? 

We thought of discussing the possible complications that may arise from unresolved Meniere’s disease.

Meniere’s Disease – A Rare Disorder

Years ago, not many people knew about Meniere’s disease. That’s because it’s a rare vestibular system problem that causes vertigo attacks, tinnitus, ear congestion, and hearing loss. Recently, celebrities have come forward about having Meniere’s and how their condition affected their life and career. 

One notable example is Jessie J, a UK-based singer best known for hits like Flashlight, Domino, and Price Tag. She shared how she got diagnosed with Meniere’s and experienced temporary hearing loss and frequent bouts of spinning sensations. Fortunately, she found help immediately, allowing her to cope with her symptoms and prevent lasting damage to her vestibulocochlear nerve. 

But not everyone has the same success story. Some patients, especially those with severe Meniere’s disease hearing loss, never got their sense of hearing back.

How Meniere’s Disease Affects Hearing

A quick review of your ear anatomy would reveal the two critical functions of your ears–hearing sounds and detecting changes in your body’s motion or your head’s orientation. 

Unfortunately, when you have Meniere’s disease, you become at risk of losing both ear functions. That’s because the abnormal buildup of water inside the inner ears impacts your vestibulocochlear nerve. This specific nerve bundle sends information about what you hear or how your body moves to the central nervous system. The longer it takes to resolve the fluid buildup, the more damage it can inflict on your nerves.

Getting Help When You Have Meniere’s

If you already suspect having Meniere’s disease, we strongly recommend consulting with a general practitioner near you. This way, you can narrow down other possible causes of your symptoms, such as tinnitus, vertigo, hearing loss, and fullness in one ear. 

If you do a quick search on these symptoms, you will notice that they can indicate other conditions like vestibular migraines or ear infections. 

When you consult with your physician, be sure to share critical information such as: 

• Patient history
• Duration of your vertigo episodes
• Your triggers (food, activities, etc.) 
• Additional symptoms besides the common signs of Meniere’s disease

Your doctor can suggest diagnostic procedures like CT scans, MRI Scans, hearing tests, or the electronystagmogram (ENG) to rule out other health conditions officially.

It may take several months to complete the diagnosis, so we strongly recommend being extra patient and sharing as much information as you can with your GP.

How to Manage Your Meniere’s Disease Symptoms

After getting your diagnosis, the next logical step is to plan how to cope with your symptoms. Now that you’re 100 percent sure that your debilitating symptoms stem from Meniere’s, here are examples of medications that doctors prescribe to reduce the severity of the disease.

• Antihistamines: Antihistamine medications like dimenhydrinate (Dramamine) help minimize your body’s inflammatory response. 
• Antiemetics: If you experience nausea and vomiting, your physician might recommend taking antiemetics. A few examples of this drug include dexamethasone (DexPak) and ondansetron (Zofran).
• Diuretics: Doctors recommend using diuretics to reduce the amount of water stuck inside the inner ear chamber. 
• Sedatives: Some doctors prescribe diazepam (Valium) or other brands of sedatives to lessen the impact of vertigo attacks.  
• Scopolamine patch: Like sedatives, a scopolamine patch also helps patients cope with vertigo episodes. 

On the one hand, if you have severe symptoms of Meniere’s disease, such as total loss of auditory or balance function, your physician can recommend the following: 

• Labyrinthectomy: The removal of the labyrinth, an ear organ used to sense sound and balance, can most help eliminate the symptoms. However, you might risk losing your sense of hearing in one ear forever.  
• Chemical ablation: A doctor can inject an antibiotic like gentamicin inside the inner ear to damage the labyrinth. This prevents it from misfiring inaccurate information.

Go for a Safe and Natural Option for Meniere’s Disease Relief

Getting diagnosed with Meniere’s disease-related hearing loss can be quite a scary experience. If you’re not keen on invasive options, you can try upper cervical chiropractic. It’s a well-documented Meniere’s disease remedy that provides improvement or complete resolution of your symptoms. The procedure is straightforward and precise. It primarily involves your C1 and C2 bones, or the topmost vertebral bones that support your head. 

Unknown to you, your upper cervical bones might have shifted from their original position. They might be the reason for the abnormal accumulation of fluids inside your inner ears. So, it might help to see an upper cervical care doctor to have your neck bone alignment assessed. 

If you have misalignments along your cervical spine, even by a minuscule fraction, your neck chiropractor can provide you with ample adjustments. This way, you can restore the spine’s alignment and facilitate faster fluid drainage inside the inner ear chamber. It can also remove the pressure on your vestibulocochlear nerve and give it ample time to heal and function smoothly again. 

Start resolving your Meniere’s disease hearing loss today with the help of an upper cervical chiropractic practitioner near you!

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