Menieres Disease

By: Cindy Infante

Psychology (HONORS)

What is Menieres Disease ?

Mnire disease is a syndrome in which you

experience episodes of spinning vertigo (sense of

the room spinning), hearing loss, and tinnitus
(ringing in the ear). Between the unpredictable
attacks, you usually do not have any problems or
symptoms of the disease.

Mnire disease was first described in 1861 by the

French physician Prosper Mnire.

Causes
The cause of Meniere's

disease isn't well

understood. It appears to
be the result of the
abnormal volume or
composition of fluid in the
inner ear.

Factors that alter the properties of inner ear fluid

may help cause Meniere's disease.

Improper fluid drainage, perhaps because

of a blockage or anatomic abnormality
Abnormal immune response
Allergies
Viral infection
Genetic predisposition
Head trauma
Migraines

How is Menieres disease

diagnosed?
Diagnosis is based on a

combination of the right

set of symptoms (usually
episodic dizziness and
hearing disturbance);
hearing tests, which
document that hearing is
reduced after an attack,
and then gets better;
and exclusion of
alternative causes.

Target Population
Mnire disease affects people

of all ages, especially those of

middle age or older. It is,
however, uncommon in
children
Menieres disease affects
roughly 0.2% of the population.
Interestingly, the Framingham
study found that 2% of the
population of the United States
believe they have Menieres
disease, suggesting that there
is considerable chance of
misdiagnosis.

Affects with CNS/PNS

An acute attack of Menieres disease is

generally believed to result from
fluctuating pressure of the fluid within
the inner ear. This is called hydrops.
A system of membranes, called the
membranous labyrinth, contains a
fluid called endolymph. The
membranes can become dilated like a
balloon when pressure increases. One
way for this to happen is when the
drainage system, called the
endolymphatic duct or sac is blocked.
In some cases, the endolymphatic duct
may be obstructed by scar tissue, or
may be narrow from birth. In some
cases there may be too much fluid
secreted by the stria vascularis.
Recently, some have pointed out that
this central hypothesis of Menieres
is questionable, as many normal
people without Menieres have
evidence of increased pressure in the
inner ear too.

Symptoms

Hearing loss
Ringing in the ear (tinnitus)
Feeling of fullness in the ear
Headache that is unusual or
severe for you
Double vision or loss of vision
Speech impairment
Leg or arm weakness
Loss of consciousness
Falling or difficulty walking
Numbness or tingling
Chest pain

Prognosis
Mnire's disease often can

find the right combination of

lifestyle changes and
medication to reduce the
frequency and severity of
attacks. Patients with severe,
disabling symptoms may get
relief with surgery, but the
risks and benefits need to be
weighed carefully.

Cure / Vaccine or Treatment

No cure exists for Meniere's disease,

but a number of strategies may help
you manage some symptoms.
Research shows that most people with
Meniere's disease respond to
treatment, although long-term hearing
loss is difficult to prevent.
Long-term medication use
Noninvasive therapies and
procedures
Rehabilitation
Hearing Aid
Meniett Device- For vertigo that's hard to
treat, this therapy involves the application of positive
pressure to the middle ear to improve fluid exchange.
A device called a Meniett pulse generator applies
pulses of pressure to the ear canal through a
ventilation tube. The treatment is performed at home,
usually three times a day for five minutes at a time.

Notable Case

Alan Shepard - (November 18, 1923 July 21, 1998) was the first American
in space and the fifth person to walk
on the moon, commanding the Apollo
14 mission. In the early 1964 Shepard
was diagnosed with Meniere's Disease.
The condition caused him to be
removed from flight status for most of
the 1960's as the disease cause
disorientation, dizziness and nausea
. In 1963 Shepard was designated
Chief of the Astronaut office which
involved monitoring the coordination,
schedule, and control of all activities
involving the NASA astronauts.
Shepard was eventually restored to full
flight status by 1969 after going
through corrective surgery. At the age
of 47 years old, he was the oldest
astronaut in the program when he took
part in his second space flight as
commander of the Apollo 14.

Celebrities with Meniere

Disease
Emily Dickinson - poet
born 1830's

Peggy Lee - singer 1920

2002

Organizations and Facilities

Vestibular Disord
ers Association

RSS Feeds
Directory of Org

anizations (Deaf
ness and Communi
cation Disorders
)

Citations
http://american-hearing.org/disorders/menieres

disease/#diagnosed
http://www.menieresinfo.com/
Meniere's disease - MayoClinic.com