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Meniere's Disease
Meniere's disease is a complex problem, the cause of which is still uncertain.
After reviewing many sources of reference and descriptions for this complaint, I have come to the conclusion that not all people diagnosed as having Meniere's disease actually have the same set of symptoms.
Looking at all the conditions that can be mistaken for Meniere's disease it seems that :
- Severe dizziness (vertigo), to the point where the victim may fall down, and experience the room rotating around them.
- Ringing in the ears.
- And sometimes deafness on the effected side and rarely bilaterally.
There is little doubt that a form of Meniere's occurs when there is an inner ear infection. Many in the medical profession believe that it is a build up of fluid pressure in the inner ear, and yet autopsies have shown that almost as many people without
Meniere's have as high fluid levels as those with the disease.
So lets list the popular and not so popular beliefs as to the cause of Meniere's disease type
symptoms:
- Pressure build up in the inner ear
- Infection of the inner ear
- Entrapment of the eighth cranial nerve
- Trigger points in the clavicular division of the Sternocleidomastoid, unlike
Meniere's this is rarely associated with unilateral deafness.
- Allergies, food or inhalant.
- Other sources of dizziness include: ear wax that touches the tympanic membrane,
- Stenosis of the internal carotid artery, which may be detected by listening for bruit over the bifurcation of the carotid artery, or higher in the neck.
- Hypertension,
- Intracranial aneurysm.
- Subclavian steal syndrome with reverse vertebral artery flow.
- Then there are the more serious possibilities that should be eliminated through differential diagnosis.: cerebellopontine tumors, intracranial vascular lesions, inflammation of the labyrinth, hemorrhage into the pons, and petit mal epilepsy
Interestingly enough reviewing the methods that are reported to provide some relief brings us back to item #3: Entrapment of the eighth cranial nerve. This cause was proposed by Dr Joel Wallach who says:
"This disease can be caused by High blood pressure, drug side effects, and osteoporosis causing an increase in fibrous connective tissue. The extras growth of connective tissue can apply pressure to the eighth cranial nerve where it passes through the skull to the inner ear. Pressure on the vestibular branch can cause vertigo, or the auditory branch causing tinnitus or ringing in the ears.
Treatment is directed towards lowering blood pressure, eliminating drug side effects and reversing osteoporosis with calcium at 2000mg, magnesium 1000mg, gelatin 12gr, and plant derived colloidal minerals daily."
This regimen is similar to that proposed by Susan Seidel (hearing specialist) who said:
"We found out by accident that some women were taking a multi vitamin & mineral plus B6 and 250 mg of magnesium, for PMS. They were in many cases having a reduction or complete abatement of meniere's symptoms , so now we recommend this supplement to all people who have these symptoms. We don't know what it is in the supplements that is helping, but some say that it does help."
about the author: Gary A Clark is a myotherapist and founder
of Pain
Busters Clinic, where he helps his clients find lasting relief from their
chronic muscle pain.
For more information or to make an appointment phone Gary Clark at Pain Busters
Clinic (Western Australia) 9472 3852 or 0402 945 700
Related problems
There
are a variety of health problems that often respond well to myotherapy or
remedial massage, for example, both cyclic vomiting syndrome and Meniere's
disease can improve after remedial treatment.
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