Say Goodbye to Tinnitus, Ringing in the Mouth, and Dizziness Attacks: Meniere's Disease Treatment
Don't let that suffocating feeling of fullness in your ear, the endless ringing, and sudden, hours-long episodes of severe dizziness take over your life. We offer you a stable and peaceful life by controlling Meniere's disease, commonly known as "inner ear pressure," through personalized medical treatments, dietary adjustments, and micro-injections administered directly to the ear.
What is Meniere's Disease (Inner Ear Pressure) and What are its Symptoms?
Meniere's disease is a chronic condition caused by an abnormally high increase in the amount and pressure of special fluids (endolymph) circulating in the closed canals of the inner ear. Just like glaucoma or high blood pressure, when the pressure in the inner ear rises, the sensitive hearing and balance nerves there begin to be compressed. This pressure increase comes in attacks. Before an attack, a feeling of blockage and a high-pitched buzzing in the ear begins; this is followed by a very severe crisis of dizziness (vertigo), nausea, and vomiting that can last between 20 minutes and 12 hours. The main goal of treatment is to balance this pressure in the inner ear, reduce the frequency of attacks to zero, and prevent permanent hearing loss caused by the pressure.
- Those who experience severe dizziness and vomiting that come in attacks and last for hours.
- Those who experience a sudden feeling of fullness, pressure, and a "water in the ear" feeling of blockage.
- Those who hear a low-pitched humming sound (such as engine noise or wind noise) following the blockage
- Those who notice fluctuations (decrease or increase) in their hearing during attacks
- "Patients who cannot go out alone and are isolated from social life due to the fear of "When will the attack come?"
To calm the storm in the inner ear, we consider the body as a whole.
Meniere's disease is not just a problem of the ear; it's a direct reflection of stress, diet, and fluid-electrolyte balance in the body. At Dr. Nurten Küçük, my first priority in treatment is to quickly relieve my patient from that terrible crisis. However, the real medical success is ensuring that crises don't recur. Going beyond standard dizziness medications, I reprogram my patient's dietary habits, apply treatments to eliminate excess fluid from the body, and in stubborn cases, I control the disease at its root with special micro-injections directly behind the eardrum (intratympanic treatments).
Medical and Dietary Therapy
The first and most critical step in treatment is lifestyle modification. Special medications that remove water from the body (diuretics) are started to reduce pressure in the inner ear, and the patient is given a strict "salt-free, caffeine-free" diet. Most patients are relieved of attacks with just this step.
Intratympanic Injections
In patients experiencing recurrent attacks that are resistant to diet and medication, cortisone or a special antibiotic (gentamicin) is injected directly into the middle ear under eardrum anesthesia in an outpatient setting. This procedure rapidly suppresses the storm in the inner ear.
Permanent Protection and Monitoring
Meniere tedavisi bir maratondur. Doğru tedavi protokolü ve düzenli işitme testleri (odyometri) takibiyle, hastalarımızın %90'ından fazlası atak geçirmeden, normal ve son derece aktif bir yaşama geri dönmektedir.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Meniere's disease completely (one hundred percent) curable?
Meniere's disease is a "chronic" condition, like diabetes or high blood pressure; meaning it's a lifelong illness that can be completely brought under control with the right steps. With appropriate treatment, a stress-free lifestyle, and adherence to dietary guidelines, the disease can be completely controlled, allowing the patient to live for years without any attacks.
What does salt and coffee consumption have to do with Meniere's disease?
Salt (sodium) causes water retention in the body. When the body retains water, the pressure of the fluid in the inner ear automatically increases, triggering a crisis. Coffee, tea (caffeine), and chocolate constrict blood vessels, disrupting blood flow to the inner ear. Therefore, eliminating salt and caffeine from their diet is a fundamental requirement for Meniere's disease treatment.
Is getting an injection into the eardrum a very painful procedure?
Absolutely not. Before an intratympanic injection, the eardrum is completely numbed with special sprays or drops. This procedure, performed with very fine (micro) needles, takes seconds and the patient does not feel significant pain. After the procedure, the patient rests for half an hour and can walk home.
Will I become deaf if the disease is left untreated?
With each Meniere's attack, increased pressure damages the hair cells in the inner ear. Initially, hearing loss is only noticeable in low-pitched sounds and improves after the attack. However, if left untreated for years and with repeated attacks, it can unfortunately lead to permanent and progressive deafness. Therefore, early diagnosis and pressure control are vital for preserving hearing.
Take the first step towards an accurate diagnosis and personalized treatment.
For an initial consultation, examination, and personalized treatment plan, please contact us immediately.