Meniere's disease is a disease of the inner ear. You will have a triad of giddiness, ringing in the ear and hearing loss. It usually affects one ear. The cause is not exactly known. It most often occurs due to viral infection, allergies, head injury, stress or hereditary causes. It can occur if an excess of inner ear fluids is secreted due to any of the above causes.
Symptoms
Your ears will feel full. You will have severe rotational giddiness, which will prevent you from doing your normal work. The giddiness lasts 20 minutes to 2 hours or more, according to Mayo Clinic. You will have vomiting and sweating. There will be a buzzing or roaring sound in your ears. Your hearing will drop during the attack. According to National Institute of Deafness and Communication Disorders (NIDCD), the hearing will recover between attacks, but worsens over time.
Tests
There is no definitive test for Meniere's disease. Your doctor will advise you to take a special hearing test, which may indicate Meniere's disease. Special tests to record the electrical activity in the ear and special balance tests may be advised as well.
Treatment
According to Meniere's disease Information Centre, Meniere's is incurable and worsens with time. However, there are multiple possible treatments for it. Treatment will help control the symptoms and make you more comfortable. Your doctor will advise bed rest during an attack. Your diet should have less salt. Lifestyle changes like quitting coffee, smoking and alcohol are encouraged. Your doctor will give you medicines to reduce the dizziness and vomiting. Meclizine or diazepam, given to treat motion sickness, will reduce the dizziness and vomiting sensation as per Mayo Clinic. Your doctor may give diuretics, which are medicines to reduce the retention of fluid.
Surgery
Surgery may be done as a last ditch effort to treat very disabling vertigo. According to NIDCD, labyrinthectomy or removal of a portion of the inner ear will be done in patients who have no hearing left. This procedure will control the giddiness, but destroys the hearing.
Another procedure that has gained popularity is injecting an antibiotic called gentamycin through the eardrum. This will gain access to the inner ear fluids and controls the giddiness. It is done in patients with very severe attacks of giddiness.
