DO YOU HAVE MENIERE’S DISEASE?
If you experience symptoms of dizziness accompanied with nausea, hearing loss and ringing in the ears, then you would likely be diagnosed with Meniere’s disease. The type of dizziness described include a spinning sensation or vertigo. These symptoms are believed to be due to a buildup of fluid or endolymph in the canals or labyrinth’s of the inner ear. This condition can result in serious quality of life disturbances including permanent hearing loss and risk of fall due to vestibular dysfunction. Ever since the disease was for named in the 1860’s, there has been disagreement over the cause and the mechanisms that bring on acute episodes.
FACTORS LINKED TO MENIERE’S
High salt intake and high cholesterol levels
Migraine headache history
Dietary factors such as dairy, chocolate, alcohol and gluten sensitivity.
Excessive use of aspirin.
Dehydration
Signs of tinnitus usually occur in one ear and affects both sexes equally. MenIere’s is a progressive disorder. Over time the increased pressure damages hair cell receptors causing messages to the brain to be disorganized. There is no cure for Menieere’s but there are treatments that may reduce the severity of symptoms and restore some quality of life. Fortunately, many with this condition can go years between major episodes. Most report at least a mild degree of daily tinnitus.
THERAPIES FOR MENEIRE’S
Vestibular rehabilitation (VRT) is not a cure but the specialized exercises that incorporate head movements and gait stabilization have been proven effective at managing the symptoms. Many physical therapists specialize in this type of therapy. Along with medications and VRT, acupuncture has been shown to have a beneficial effect. Another mechanism for vertigo involves the mechanical dysfunction of the cervical vertebrae. Known as cervical vertigo, these mechanical lesions result in poor lymph drainage and insufficient blood supply through the vertebral arteries.
At Back in Motion Chiropractic and Acupuncture in Daphne, our physician has 30 years of experience in diagnosing and treating this complicated condition. While there is no cure for hearing loss, many patients have reported a significant improvement in symptoms of dizziness and tinnitus.
CAUSES OF DIZZINESS
Symptoms of dizziness can range from being a chronic part of an underlying serious medical condition to temporary as in the case of motion sickness. A common condition that should be ruled out is a dysfunction in the vestiblular system. Vestibular neuritis and labyrinthitis result from viral infections that inflames the nerves and disrupts the transmission of sensory information from the ear to the brain. A physical therapist who specializes in vestibular rehabilitation exercises is usually the best choice if a vestibular disease is diagnosed.
MENIERE’S DISEASE
Dizziness associated with ringing in the ears or tinnitus and hearing loss usually indicates Meniere’s Disease. This condition is a result of increased fluid or endolymph accumulating in the ear. There are numerous studies that support the role of acupuncture and chiropractic in treating Meniere's Disease.
ORTHOSTATIC HYPOTENSION
Once conditions such as the above are ruled out, the cause of your dizziness could be orthostatic hypotension. People with hypertension often experience this sudden drop in blood pressure when standing. Gravity affects your blood flow when you stand up, especially from a lying down position. The normal response is mediated through the autonomic nervous system. A normal response would be a rise in blood pressure and heart rate. Baroreceptors in the arterial system cause a constriction of blood vessels in the legs and lower torso to insure the brain has adequate blood supply. In the presence of orthostatic hypotension, this mechanism is disturbed and dizziness, confusion and even fainting may ensue. Causes of orthostatic hypotension can range in seriousness from dehydration to heart disease. After a large meal, post-prandial hypotension may occur. This is due to the demand for blood supply to the intestines.
The causation for orthostatic hypotension could be an imbalance in the two components of the autonomic nervous system associated with a condition known as adrenal fatigue. Adrenal fatigue is largely caused by stress and poor diet. It is not a life threatening condition like Addison’s, an autoimmune disorder where the adrenals totally lose the capacity to manufacture hormones.
At Back in Motion Chiropractic and Acupuncture in Daphne, our chiropractic physician has many years of experience in diagnosing and treating disorders involving dizziness and vertigo. There are simple postural blood tests to determine if the cause is due to postural hypotension. Chiropractic adjustments, acupuncture and adrenal supplementation have resulted in many case improvements. If the cause of your symptoms is beyond our scope, rest assured that we have referral relationships with M.D.’s and physical therapists where you can get help.