What is Meniere’s Disease?

Meniere’s Disease is a rare condition that affects the inner ear, presenting with symptoms such as a feeling of pressure in the ear, tinnitus or vertigo. In extreme cases it can even result in the permanent loss of hearing. It can strike victims at any time, and is believed to affect up to 1.9 per 1,000 people. It can affect males or females, but it is thought that around 10% of people who develop Meniere’s Disease have a family history with it. In other words, it does not discriminate!

It is a sapping condition that can disrupt everyday life as the attacks can vary in severity and length, lasting from around two or three hours all the way up to days at a time. The most common complaints that arise from Meniere’s Disease are unpredictable bouts of vertigo with nausea and vomiting. The length of these spells is unpredictable and can last anywhere from minutes to hours. However, another issue with the Disease is that people who suffer from it can then go days or even years without suffering their next attack, It can come out of nowhere!

What are the signs of an attack?

Meniere’s creates damage to the hair cell receptors in the inner ear, which then spontaneously sends confused signals to the brain. This initially shows up as a kind of rumbling tinnitus sound at first. Other signs of an attack can include a feeling of fullness in the ear which is aural pressure, or the previously mentioned bouts of vertigo and nausea.

Is there a cure for Meniere’s Disease?

Dealing with Meniere’s Disease can be very difficult, as there is not a known cure for the illness at this time. Treatment is normally based around managing the condition to reduce and control the symptoms. This is done via prescription medications, or changing the dietary intake of sufferers to limit sodium.

However, Neuroworks Chiropractic Clinic in Chiswick is a neurological rehabilitation centre that provides a holistic, alternative way of treating Meniere’s Disease. The Chiswick Chiropractor offers a vestibular rehabilitation programme, designed to teach the patient how to retrain their balance systems to become more stable. While aimed at improving balance and mobility, it can cause an overall improvement to the quality of life for sufferers of the Disease as they learn how to balance themselves again.

What is Vestibular Rehabilitation?

Vestibular rehabilitation with the Chiswick Chiropractor is a customized exercise programme that basically causes dizziness and then teaches you how to deal with it. It isn’t done to cause acute attacks of vertigo, and the physiotherapists will work with you to train your brain to recognise and overcome dizziness and imbalance. Think of it a bit like getting your sea legs! While these exercises won’t prevent attacks of vertigo, they will help with the long term symptoms of dizziness and imbalance, and give confidence that you can recover from the vertigo attacks caused by Meniere’s in the future.