Sound waves in the air reach the fluid in the inner ear and are sent as signals to the brain. The inner ear also helps keep a sense of balance. In Meniere's disease, there is a buildup of fluid in the inner ear, which leads to vertigo. A low-sodium diet will lower the fluid pressure in the inner ear.
Meniere's Disease
Meniere's disease is also called endolymphatic hydrops. In this disorder, fluid builds up in the inner ear. Exactly how this happens is not yet known, but sometimes it is due to head trauma. Some people with Meniere's have a mutation in chromosome 14, according to Roger Simon, M.D., Director of Neurobiology Research at Legacy Health Systems in “Clinical Neurology.” Most people are between 20 and 50 years old, and the disease affects men more than women.
Symptoms
You may suddenly feel like everything around you is spinning, a feeling which can last for 24 hours. You may be nauseous, have to vomit and have a “ringing” noise in your ear which comes and goes or you hear constantly. Soon, you will not be able to hear as well in the affected ear, but feel like your ear is full. The symptoms may go away for more than a year but return, and the disease will get worse, explains John Oghalai, M.D., Director of the Hearing Center in “The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals.”
Meniere's Disease and Vertigo
The outer part of the ear hears sound and the sound waves go from air to the fluid in the inner ear. The inner ear takes the movement of the fluid and sends it as signals to the brain. The inner ear also uses its cells and fluid, so you have a sense of balance. In Meniere's disease, the buildup of fluid interferes with these functions. You lose your sense of balance and develop vertigo, or feel that everything is spinning.
Evaluation
The evaluation for Meniere's disease includes an MRI of the head with emphasis on the inner ear. Other disorders can cause similar symptoms. An MRI helps to decide if you have Meniere's or another disorder. You should have an audiogram, or a hearing test that makes a graph of the results. A Fukada stepping test, Weber's and Rinne tests are additional hearing exams.
Sodium and Meniere's Disease
The main treatment involves lowering the pressure of the fluid within the inner ear. To accomplish this, University of Maryland Medical Center advises you to restrict salt intake. If this cannot be done by diet alone, then a physician may prescribe a diuretic to increase urination and, therefore, fluid loss. You should not have more than 1,500 to 2,000mg of sodium a day. Limit eating at restaurants, as the food usually contains a lot of salt and it's impossible to know how much there is in a meal.
References
- “Clinical Neurology”; Roger Simon, M.D., David Greenberg, M.D., Ph.D., Michael Aminoff, M.D.; 2009
- “Junqueira's Basic Histology: Text & Atlas”; Anthony Mescher, Ph.D.; 2010
- The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals: Meniere's Disease
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Meniere's Disease
