Her training in particular has focused on how to best communicate evidence-based medical guidelines and clinical trial results to the public. She strives to make health content accurate, accessible and engaging to the public.Read more about Joy. It may sound strange, but your inner era contains little crystals known as otoconia that help you stay balanced. They move as you move, sending your brain signals about how you’re positioned.
Contact your healthcare provider if you suddenly develop dizzy spells that may be vertigo. If that’s your situation, ask your healthcare provider about monitoring your overall health for indications you’re developing Ménière’s disease. It interprets outside airwaves and sends signals that your brain and inner ear use to allow you to hear and maintain your balance. When there’s too much endolymph in your inner ear, those signals become scrambled so your brain can’t manage your sense of balance and hearing.
If you experience these feelings please talk to your healthcare provider. It can also be helpful to talk and interact with other people who are suffering from this disease. The best way to cope with attacks of vertigo seems to be lying down on a flat surface until it passes. Do not try to eat or drink as it may cause nausea and vomiting.
They can run a full range of tests to narrow down what’s wrong, and get you on the right treatment path. In most cases, you’ll want to start with your primary care doctor, or, an ENT, a doctor that specializes in disorders of the ear, nose and throat. Long-term, it can lead to low-frequency hearing loss (male voices, thunder, etc, are harder to hear), though any pitch can be affected. Over time, the dizziness may improve but hearing loss may get worse or become permanent. Ménière’s disease causes damage to the hair cell receptors in the inner ear.
Indeed, lightheadedness is another term that’s often used along with dizziness and vertigo. Many people with vertigo will report dizziness as a symptom. However, vertigo actually describes a specific type of sensation.
Vertigo and Ménière’s disease are two different conditions that affect the inner ear and can both result in symptoms such as dizziness and balance issues. However, it is important to understand the distinctions between the two in order to properly diagnose and treat them.
The perilymph and endolymph surround the hair cells responsible for detecting both sound and motion, and the fluids are critical for maintaining healthy inner ear function. The two fluids are very different chemically and must be kept separated for the ear to function correctly. One possible cause for the symptoms of Meniere’s disease is from having too much endolymph pressure in the inner ear. There is currently no cure for Meniere’s disease, so treatments revolve around alleviating symptoms. Changing to a low salt diet and avoiding caffeine and alcohol may be beneficial in keeping your fluid balance in check and reducing inner ear pressure. Meniere’s is a progressive disease, which means it tends to get worse over time.
These can be performed as either staged after the initial treatment of the vertigo attacks, or potentially at the same time as treating the attacks. Surgical therapyIn the unusual cases where attacks of vertigo are not controlled with behavior modification, diet, and medicines, surgical procedures may be highly effective. All of the surgical treatments are aimed at reducing the acute vertigo, and none have been shown to improve the hearing loss or tinnitus (ear noises). If there is too much endolymph, it swells and stretches the surrounding membranes. This can cause a sense of pressure in the ear, tinnitus, and hearing loss. This causes the ear to “short circuit” and triggers the acute attacks of vertigo seen with the disease.
Vertigo
Vertigo is a sensation of spinning or movement that is often described as feeling like the room is spinning around you. It is typically caused by problems in the inner ear or the brain that are responsible for maintaining balance. Common causes of vertigo include benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), labyrinthitis, and vestibular neuritis.
Symptoms of Vertigo
People experiencing vertigo may feel like they are spinning, tilting, swaying, or being pulled in one direction. They may also experience nausea, vomiting, sweating, and difficulty walking or standing. The symptoms of vertigo can be triggered by changes in head position, sudden movements, or specific activities.
Ménière’s Disease
Ménière’s disease is a chronic condition of the inner ear that affects balance and hearing. It is characterized by episodes of vertigo, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), hearing loss, and a feeling of fullness or pressure in the ear. The exact cause of Ménière’s disease is not fully understood, but it is believed to be related to fluid buildup in the inner ear.
Symptoms of Ménière’s Disease
Individuals with Ménière’s disease may experience sudden and severe vertigo attacks that can last for several hours. These attacks are often accompanied by intense nausea, vomiting, sweating, and difficulty focusing. Hearing loss and ringing in the ears may also occur, and some individuals may have ongoing issues with balance and coordination.
In conclusion, while both vertigo and Ménière’s disease can cause similar symptoms such as dizziness and imbalance, they are distinct conditions with different underlying causes. Proper diagnosis by a healthcare professional is essential in order to determine the appropriate treatment for each condition. If you are experiencing symptoms of vertigo or Ménière’s disease, it is important to seek medical attention promptly to receive the necessary care and support.
