Meniere’s Disease

Hearing loss isn’t the only symptom of inner ear conditions that could affect your overall health or lifestyle. One such chronic condition, Meniere’s disease, has many different implications and symptoms, which can include hearing loss and may be partially treated with a professional hearing aid.

What is Meniere’s Disease?

Meniere’s disease is a disorder that causes random, recurring bouts of vertigo (dizziness), tinnitus, ear pressure, and hearing loss. It can affect one or both ears and is more common in people over the age of 40, although it can affect people of all ages. This is a complex, multifaceted condition that often requires multiple treatment strategies to stave off the worst of the symptoms caused by this inner ear disorder.

Meniere’s Disease Symptoms

The main symptom of Meniere’s disease is chronic episodes of vertigo. Vertigo happens when the vestibular system in the inner ear sends incorrect and sometimes intense signals to the brain about the position and motion of the body, leading to a feeling of spinning, dizziness, and even nausea and vomiting. Depending on the severity of these symptoms, people with Meniere’s disease are not able to drive, participate in social activities, or even leave the house.

Other symptoms that occur at the same time as the vertigo are a feeling of pressure or fullness in the ear, tinnitus, and hearing loss. While many of these symptoms come and go during an episode, some of them can become permanent, such as hearing loss.

Meniere’s Disease Diagnosis and Treatment

Meniere’s disease is diagnosed with an audiologist who recommends paths to treatment based on your unique symptoms, the progression of the disease, and your lifestyle. There is currently no cure for Meniere’s, and doctors are struggling to find links to specific risk factors or genetic tracers that could help identify people who are more at risk for the disease than others.

Treatments for people with Meniere’s disease are many. They include both medical and social interventions, as well as assistive devices such as hearing aids. Some doctors recommend therapy or support groups for people who may be struggling with loneliness and depression due to their debilitated state during attacks. Some surgeries can be performed to alleviate inner ear pressure or other physical symptoms. And as usual, hearing loss can often be addressed with a custom hearing solution that can also be tuned to treat tinnitus.

The best treatment is taking care of your overall health and hearing health by eating a nutritious diet, getting regular hearing checkups, and protecting your ears from loud noises whenever possible.

Hearing Loss Solutions in Georgia

Living a normal life with Meniere’s disease can be difficult or nearly impossible without the right treatment and medical devices that help balance out your episodic symptoms and help you hear the world around you as normal. Come visit the nearest Georgia Hearing Aid Factory Outlet location near you or contact us online to schedule an appointment to find a modern hearing aid to help you or your loved one combat the symptoms of hearing loss from Meniere’s disease.