Vertigo and/ or Ménière’s disease

[Anonymous]

My mom has been having debilitating spells of room-spinning vertigo, with sweatiness and nausea. It could be Ménière’s disease (though it could be unusual to develop in your 70s?) I’m also told that the condition is hard to diagnose and has no cure. Does anything help?

[Anonymous]

I have seen an ENT & a neurologist & the most helpful interventions actually came from a physical therapist at Point Performance in Bethesda. Julie Shein. She has specialized in vestibular disorders since the 90s. If you are in the area I would strongly recommend you have your mom see her.

[Anonymous]

My brother suffered from Menieres for over a decade. He was on an ultra low salt diet to keep the symptoms at bay (bread made from scratch, etc). He discovered a special TMJ / mouth guard at the 10 year mark that relieves pressure on a nerve at the back of the mouth. Completely cured him. He can eat salt again.

[Anonymous]

Is it constant or only when she changes her head position (i.e. rolling over in bed)?

It could be a vestibular dysfunction. I was just diagnosed with this (at 50). My dizziness was only occasionally when my head position changed. My doctor explained it that in a normal person the fluid in your ears balances itself out as you move your head to different positions. With vestibular dysfunction the fluid in one side may thicken and not balance out as quickly. The timing difference creates the dizziness. This thickening can occur with aging. The treatment is to go to PT for vestibular disorders who will show exercises to help prevent it. I'm not at that point yet but that seems to be the only treatment.

I would start with an ENT. They can recommend VNG testing done to pinpoint what exactly the problem is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it constant or only when she changes her head position (i.e. rolling over in bed)?

It could be a vestibular dysfunction. I was just diagnosed with this (at 50). My dizziness was only occasionally when my head position changed. My doctor explained it that in a normal person the fluid in your ears balances itself out as you move your head to different positions. With vestibular dysfunction the fluid in one side may thicken and not balance out as quickly. The timing difference creates the dizziness. This thickening can occur with aging. The treatment is to go to PT for vestibular disorders who will show exercises to help prevent it. I'm not at that point yet but that seems to be the only treatment.

I would start with an ENT. They can recommend VNG testing done to pinpoint what exactly the problem is.

Op here — thank you. She was originally diagnosed with something related to ear crystals and balance and she was supposed to do exercises that involved lying in various positions. But that seems not to be helping her and the episodes are becoming more frequent. She does have hearing loss and one of her sisters has menieres but this sister has had it for many decades and it has been absolutely debilitating for her. She is also profoundly deaf whereas my mom could hear well for most of her life. But my mom does have ringing in her ears, apparently another sign.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it constant or only when she changes her head position (i.e. rolling over in bed)?

It could be a vestibular dysfunction. I was just diagnosed with this (at 50). My dizziness was only occasionally when my head position changed. My doctor explained it that in a normal person the fluid in your ears balances itself out as you move your head to different positions. With vestibular dysfunction the fluid in one side may thicken and not balance out as quickly. The timing difference creates the dizziness. This thickening can occur with aging. The treatment is to go to PT for vestibular disorders who will show exercises to help prevent it. I'm not at that point yet but that seems to be the only treatment.

I would start with an ENT. They can recommend VNG testing done to pinpoint what exactly the problem is.

Op here — thank you. She was originally diagnosed with something related to ear crystals and balance and she was supposed to do exercises that involved lying in various positions. But that seems not to be helping her and the episodes are becoming more frequent. She does have hearing loss and one of her sisters has menieres but this sister has had it for many decades and it has been absolutely debilitating for her. She is also profoundly deaf whereas my mom could hear well for most of her life. But my mom does have ringing in her ears, apparently another sign.

PP. I also have ringing in my ears. Not constant or bothersome but when it's quiet I can hear it.

[Anonymous]

Bonine

[Anonymous]

See if taking 2 regular strength aspirin, first thing in the morning, before she gets out of bed. See if that helps.

[Anonymous]

For me I must stay hydrated (62 yo). If I am not well hydrated sometimes w the addition of electrolytes I experience this. It can get really bad. For bad cases I take diazepam and meclazine and Zofran. Occasionally I end up in the hospital for a few days. It’s not to be ignored. Don’t know what it is. Hopkins says atypical migraine, others say mineire's disease