Meniere's disease - a disease of the inner ear that occurs due to an increase in its endolymph cavity and leading to disorders of balance, continuous or intermittent tinnitus and intermittent or complete deafness.
Overview
Meniere's disease - a disease associated with excessive accumulation of endolymph in the inner ear cavity, resulting in disorders of the vestibular apparatus, and in contact with other parts of the body - irreversible damage to their structures. Usually the disease affects male patients and the elderly, but can occur in women during the course of menopause and in pediatric practice.
The disease is often spontaneous, which greatly complicates the prediction of its outcome. Radical treatment does not exist: drug therapy contributes to a partial reduction in the number of attacksAnd surgery is usually saves only from the vestibular disorders.
The outcome of the disease is directly related to the individual characteristics and extent of pathology, and It may be either favorable (complete remission) and unfavorable (complete bilateral deafness).
Causes of
The exact cause of Meniere's disease is unknown.
It is believed that the disease can lead to:
- Various diseases of the cardiovascular system, accompanied by increased vascular permeability;
- Infectious inflammatory processes and diseases of the inner ear;
- Traumatic brain injury;
- Failure or abnormality of the cochlear apparatus.
stage
- Stage 1: changes in hearing are not marked, nausea, vomiting and balance disorders do not exceed 20 minutes prior to the occurrence of seizures in patients marked pressure head from defeat;
- Step 2: marked hearing loss with predominant loss of perception of low frequency discomfort seizures reached maximum severity;
- Stage 3: the progression of bilateral hearing loss with the onset of total deafness, symptoms associated with an imbalance of almost not expressed.
The symptoms of Meniere's disease
The disease begins in most cases with recurrent bouts of dizziness, nausea, severe tinnitus and balance disorders. Patients also note coming stuffy one or both ears, headache, fall mood, decreased vision, memory disorders, which also speaks of chronic pathological process.
Symptoms and treatment of Meniere's disease depends on the progression of the pathology:
- If the amount of the endolymph continues to increase, the degree of manifestation of symptoms associated with balance disorders is reduced, and in their place, developing deafness. Initially hearing loss relates only to one ear and may be incomplete, but then, due to the spread of the endolymph and second infestation, resulting in hearing loss or deafness;
- If the amount of the endolymph increases slightly or remained at the same level, there is the probability of transition nausea, tinnitus and imbalances with periodic flow at a constant that completely denies patients the possibility to leave the property and deal with any kind activity.
Also, in clinical practice, it noted a number of cases of complete remission of Meniere's disease, without assistance from the outside, lightning for pathology and periodic change of complete remission of the disease with its recurrence, indicating that the unpredictability of its flow.
Diagnostics
An important aspect in the diagnosis of a disease differentiation from Meniere's syndrome, which differs from the first in that it is for never leads to hearing loss. It is also important to completely eliminate otosclerosis, The presence of cranial nerve tumor, acute otitis media and labyrinthitisGiving symptoms similar to that carried out:
- Various studies of hearing (audiometry, the test response of the auditory brain department);
- Electronystagmography (study locking movement of eyeballs);
- Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography.
Treatment of Meniere's disease
Treatment of the disease is possible, as by the application of medicines or surgically. Drug treatment includes the use of sedatives, diuretics and antihistamines, as well as antiemetic agents.
Options for surgical treatment of Meniere's disease:
- Endolymphatic shunt (introduction into the inner ear of the shunt, which outputting endolymph outwards, lowers the pressure and thus reduces the symptoms of the disease);
- Dissection of the vestibular nerve (only relieves the symptoms associated with impaired balance);
- Decompression of endolymphatic sac (artificial increase endolymphatic sac cavity by removing a portion of bone from the inner ear);
- Labyrinthectomy (complete removal of the inner ear, is only carried out in patients with complete deafness).
Such treatment options for diseases, such as intramuscular or intracavitary administration of antibiotics, today does not apply, due to the high risk of irreversible effects.
prevention
- Early treatment of diseases of the cardiovascular system;
- Preventing the occurrence of traumatic brain injury;
- Complete rejection of reception of alcohol, coffee and tobacco products;
- Physiotherapy to strengthen the vestibular apparatus;
- A diet low in salt, and a sufficient amount of proteins;
- Course application of vitamin and bracing means;
- Periodic course application of diuretics;
- The adoption of the horizontal position when the attack occurs;
- Symptomatic antihistamine use and antiemetics.
Forecast
On the basis of the spontaneous and almost always unpredictable course of Meniere's disease, prediction of treatment difficult. It is known that surgical techniques can eliminate the violations of the vestibular apparatus, and in some cases, prevent the onset of hearing loss.
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