Cures for Tinnitus & Meniere's

Meniere's disease and tinnitus are not the same disorder but are sometimes confused and will be discussed separately in the sections below. One of the reasons the disorders are confused is that both can have an effect on the sense of hearing. It is important to understand these differences in order to understand what the treatment options are and what level of cure you can expect.

Tinnitus

• Tinnitus can be a symptom of simple hearing loss or a side effect of a medication, among other causes. Tinnitus is a ringing or clicking sensation that can be almost always present or can come and go. Tinnitus becomes a problem for people as they age and begin to lose their hearing.

  Usually treatment for tinnitus involves treatment of the underlying problem. It may involve ear wax removal, changing medications, prescribing hearing aids, and adding tricyclic antidepressants (such as Xanax or Campral). It also sometimes involves a blood vessel condition. Reducing stress levels and intake of alcohol can help treat tinnitus.

  Alternative treatments that have been successful include acupuncture, hypnosis, supplementation with zinc or ginkgo, and "noise suppression." Noise suppression means listening to white noise, such as a fan or a special white noise machine that reduces awareness of the ringing.

Meniere's Disease

• Meniere's disease is often the diagnosis when dizziness begins to rule the life of the victim, because movement of the head can bring on severe dizziness and nausea. It can certainly effect hearing loss.

  Treatments for Meniere's disease are varied, depending on how seriously the disease affects the victim's life and hearing. Usually the first step is treatment with anti-nausea medications and motion sickness meds, such as Antivert.

  Sometimes a medication is given to decrease fluid levels in the inner ear, which senses and controls balance. Sometimes the care provider will inject the inner ear with gentamicin or steroids to help balance control. There is also vestibular rehabilitation therapy, which endeavors to retrain the inner ear and restore balance.

  Tips that have helped some people include spacing out smaller meals throughout the day; limiting salt; and avoiding MSG, caffeine, stress and anxiety.

  For cases that need surgery, there are three options: the endolympatic sac procedure (removes the sac that holds excess fluid in the inner ear), vestibular nerve section (cuts the nerve that connects balance and movement sensors in the middle ear and usually does not cause further hearing loss) and labyrinthectomy (cuts and removes the middle ear section). The labyrinthectomy is a last resort, since it causes complete permanent, irreversible hearing loss.