The membranous contains a fluid called Endolymph and is encased by bone, when our body moves along with our head this causes nerve receptors of the membranous labyrinth to tell the brain the body is moving.

It is when there is an increase in the Endolymph and the membranous labyrinth expands a condition called endolymphatic hydrops occurs. It is when the membranous labyrinth ruptures and the Endolymph fluid mixes with the fluid of the inner ear that the symptoms of Ménière’s disease occur.

The Symptoms of Ménière’s Disease

There are several symptoms of the disease which may occur on a daily basis or just every now and again and quite often they can come on suddenly, perhaps the most stressful symptom is the one vertigo which affects the balance the other most common of these symptoms are:

• Vomiting
• Sweating
• Severe nausea
• Hearing loss
• Tinnitus
• Pressure felt in the affected ear
• Headaches
• Abdominal pain or discomfort
• Diarrhoea

Quite often the symptoms this disease presents are ones that can occur with many other illnesses so it is important that a Doctor’s advice be sought if you have some of the symptoms described above to rule out Ménière’s disease.

Diagnosing Ménière’s Disease

A complete medical history and examination will be given by your Doctor and he will also want you to have a hearing test, an MRI scan to rule out the possibility of a tumour, an electrocochleography, which will measure the amount of electrical activity in the inner ear.

Treatments Available for Ménière’s Disease

The specific treatment given to you for the disease will be based on several different factors which the Doctor will assess and which are based on:

• Your overall health, age and medical history
• The extent that the disease has progressed
• Your tolerance level of specific medications and therapies
• Your preference for treatment

Treatments available may include:

• Surgery- There is several types of surgery that are particularly helpful in the disease when counteracting the balance side of the disease. The most common surgery is the insertion of a silicon tube to drain off the excess fluid build up.
• Medication- medication may be given to help reduce the fluid retention or to improve the inner ears blood circulation, they can also be given to help with allergies.
• Change in diet- it is thought that the intensity and frequency of the symptoms can be helped by reducing the amount of caffeine, salt and alcohol in the diet.
• Behaviour Therapy- It is thought that by reducing the amount of stress in your life this can also help to reduce the symptoms or severity of them of the disease.