Meniere's disease is a disorder that effects your inner ear and may cause balance problems. In most cases, Meniere's disease only impacts one ear. The disease can be diagnosed at any age but is more likely to affect people in their 40s and 50s. Niacin, a B vitamin, may be an effective way to treat your condition if you have been diagnosed with Meniere's disease. This disorder is considered chronic, but learning more about the symptoms and treatments may help you reduce your symptoms and improve your quality of life.
About Meniere's Disease
Meniere's disease causes symptoms when fluid builds up in your inner ear, which can negatively impact your sense of balance as well as your ability to hear properly. The fluid interferes with the ability of your ear to send and receive messages to your brain, which is what leads to the negative symptoms associated with the disorder. The disease likely runs in families but may also occur because of a head trauma, viral infection, allergies or autoimmune reactions, though these theories are not conclusive.
Symptoms
One of the most common symptoms of Meniere's disease is vertigo. Vertigo causes a sensation that the room is spinning, which may cause you to lose your balance. Additional symptoms may accompany your feeling of vertigo, including headache, double vision, speech impairment, difficulty walking, numbness, chest pain or change in heart rate. These episodes can come on without warning and may last for 20 minutes or up to 24 hours at a time. Fluctuating hearing loss, ringing, buzzing, roaring or whistling sounds in the ear and pressure in the ear are additional symptoms of this disorder.
About Niacin
Niacin is a water-soluble B vitamin that you must get from your daily diet. Your daily diet should include between 14 and 16 mg of niacin for proper function of nerves and the digestive system. Niacin is also important for the health of your skin. Niacin is present in dairy foods, eggs, enriched grain foods, fish, meat, legumes and nuts.
Niacin as Treatment
Niacin is considered an herbal remedy and is used in some instances to treat Meniere's disease. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders reports that using niacin to treat Meniere's disease has not been studied extensively, and there is no conclusive evidence to show that the remedy improves symptoms. Speak with your doctor before using niacin to treat Meniere's disease, because it may interact with other medications you take and may also cause unwanted side effects. Traditional medicine, as well as dietary and behavioral changes, may be more effective treatments.
