Meniere’s disease, a disorder of the inner ear, causes some of the most severe vertigo episodes of any known condition. Attacks of vertigo can come on so suddenly and be so severe that they are called “drop attacks” since they might cause a person to lose balance and fall to the ground.
Meniere’s disease occurs when an abnormal amount of fluid causes increased pressure in the compartments of the inner ear called the labyrinth. The labyrinth of the inner ear contains the parts that control your body’s ability to maintain a sense of balance as well as your sense of hearing. Part of the labyrinth is filled with fluid called endolymph. As your body moves around, the endolymph moves with it and stimulates receptors in the inner ear to send signals to the brain about your body’s position. For people who deal with Meniere’s disease, an excess of endolymph causes a distortion of normal signals traveling to the brain, which is what leads to vertigo attacks as well as other Meniere’s disease symptoms.
The Four Main Meniere’s Disease Symptoms
There are four main signs and symptoms that are characteristic of Meniere’s disease:
- Vertigo – episodes of vertigo are recurring and can be quite severe for those suffering from Meniere’s disease. Vertigo attacks can begin and end spontaneously and last anywhere from 20 minutes to several hours. When vertigo episodes are severe, they can also cause nausea or vomiting.
- Loss of hearing – in the affected ear, fluctuating hearing loss may occur. Over time, the hearing loss can become permanent.
- Tinnitus – ringing, roaring, whistling, hissing, or buzzing sound in the ear can be experienced, sometimes to a large degree, by people with Meniere’s disease.
- Fullness or pressure in the ear – because there is a buildup of fluid within the inner ear, pressure can increase leading to a feeling of fullness in the ear or on the side of the head.
What Causes My Meniere’s Symptoms?
While it is known that excess fluid creates the problems associated with Meniere’s disease, why the fluid builds up in excess is still somewhat of a mystery. There are a lot of theories about what happens to trigger Meniere’s disease. Some of the most commonly referred to potential causes include:
- Anxiety or stress
- Allergies
- Inner or middle ear infection
- Recent viral illness
- Respiratory infection
- Smoking
- Head injury
- Fatigue
- Family history of the condition
- Alcohol consumption
- Stress
- Migraines
- Autoimmune reaction
- Medication side-effect
After an episode of Meniere’s disease, your symptoms can measurably improve and even go away entirely. Some Meniere’s sufferers can go years between episodes, and some experience them weeks apart.
Finding Needed Relief From Meniere’s Disease
If you are exploring options to find relief from the symptoms of Meniere’s disease, there are a few things that may come recommended to you:
- Medication – motion sickness and anti-nausea medications are frequently recommended
- Vestibular rehabilitation therapy to help improve balance
- Diuretics to reduce overall fluid retention in the body
- Low-sodium diet to also help reduce fluid retention
In more severe cases of Meniere’s disease, injections of an antibiotic or steroid might be given into the middle ear, or surgery might be considered as a treatment option.
Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care Works Naturally
To understand how this very specific branch of chiropractic care can help you find lasting relief from your Meniere’s disease symptoms it’s important to first understand the role of your spine, particularly where it forms a junction with the base of your skull at the very top of your neck. Generally speaking, the most important job of your spine is to protect the spinal cord. Your spinal cord is the highway of communication between your brain and body and it relies on the vertebrae of your spinal column to provide a tough layer of protection to ensure that it keeps its normal ability to function.
Your atlas vertebra, the uppermost one in your neck, is unique in that it’s the most freely movable bone in your entire spine. An accident or injury can cause it to misalign slightly, which can irritate the area of the spinal cord it normally protects. Your atlas also sits in a very close position to your inner ear and any misalignment can also affect normal ear drainage and communication over the nerves that connect your inner ear and brain telling your body how to stay in balance.
Recent studies have pointed to an atlas misalignment being a major contributing factor in the development of Meniere’s disease. Over the course of six years, 300 Meniere’s disease were monitored for outcomes following a course of upper cervical chiropractic care. 97% showed significant improvement. For them, this meant a return to work, a normal social and family life, regaining the ability to drive, and living independently again. For the remaining Meniere’s disease sufferers who still experienced some symptoms, episodes were less intense and happened less frequently. All 300 showed signs of an atlas misalignment and the vast majority could recall a previous injury to the head or neck that stemmed from an auto accident, sports injury or other trauma.
Upper cervical chiropractic care is not only effective, but it’s also very gentle and extremely precise. Low-force adjustments made when necessary to correct atlas alignment give your body the ability to heal naturally and function optimally. This can lead to a lasting, natural solution to Meniere’s disease symptoms.
References:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/menieres-disease/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20374916
https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/menieres-disease
Burcon MT, Health outcomes following cervical specific protocol in 300 people with Meniere’s followed over six years. J Upper Cervical Chiropr Res 2016; Jun 2:13-23.
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