Pathphysiology of menieres desease with symptoms and diet treatment

MENIERES DESEASE

Introduction: Meniere’s disease or MD as it is better known in medical terms, is the ailment related to the inner portion of the ear which is accompanied by change in the quantum of the fluid within the portion of inner ear known as labyrinth including the membranous labyrinth and bony labyrinth. The ailment can affect hearing and balancing and is defined by episodes of giddiness, tinnitus and progressive loss of hearing, normally in one ear. The ailment is designated to the French physician, Prosper Meniere, who was the first to report through an article published during 1861, that vertigo had caused by the inner ear disorders.

Types of disease: The different types of Meniere’s deseases are not thoroughly known or defined as yet.

Causes: Physicians have their individual opinions about the causes of Meniere’s diseases. But most of the researchers believe that the so called symptoms of these ailments are usually because of idiopathic endolymphatic hydrops which means excess endolymphatic fluid – the one of two inner fluids due to the cause not exactly known, hence “idiopathic”. This theory denotes that acute attacks occur when excessive potassium rich endolymphatic fluid spills out through the separating membrane into sodium-rich perilymphatic fluid which is the other inner ear fluid, containing it.

When the head moves, endolymph fluid in the membranous labyrinth shifts telling nerve receptors signaling the brain about body movements. When the amount of endolymph enhances, doctors believe that the membranous labyrinth may balloon or dilate and if it ruptures thereafter, endolymph fluid may mix up with perilymph fluid in the bony labyrinth which eventually causes the Meniere’s symptoms.

Symptoms: the most common symptoms of these ailments may include: giddiness, nausea, vomiting, instability, a sense of completeness in the ear, ringing in the ear - tinnitus, headache, abdominal distress and hearing loss, which can raise if the disease progresses. Such symptoms may transpire in three different phases of severity as the ailment advances and may occur with varying incidence, extent and force. Normally the attacks are abrupt and lasting for a few hours, but the first ever episode may last for over 24 hours, yet following attacks may not. Sleep disturbance may also be experienced.

Diagnose: This ailment is not characterized by its symptoms as there are many disorders having the similar symptoms. The differential diagnosis with diagnostic tests is advised for proper diagnosis.

Treatment: Treatments of this ailment mostly include diets and medications however the drug therapy may provide symptomatic relief only. The low salt diet and diuretic may help decrease frequency of its attacks in some patients.

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