“Aussie bids to crack middle ear disease. Meniere’s Laboratory in Sydney Paves The Way for Research”
From http://news.ninemsn.com.au
It’s time to pull the mysterious “dizzy terror” which afflicts at least 50,000 Australians out of medical science’s too hard basket, an Australian researcher says.
Dr Daniel Brown, a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Sydney’s Medical School, heads the world’s first research facility solely dedicated to finding the cause and a cure for Meniere’s Disease.
The debilitating condition of the middle ear has been baffling scientists since it was first described by French physician Prosper Meniere in 1861.
Its cause remains unclear – genetic, hormonal or even a viral trigger for fluid or pressure fluctuations within the body’s balancing mechanism, the middle ear – but its impact on sufferers is well known.
They experience sudden and recurring bouts of dizziness, each lasting up to 24 hours and accompanied by nausea and vomiting, with the first of these attacks usually occurring in a person’s mid-30s.
“Some people will get these attacks and will immediately drop to the floor and other people they can sense it is coming on,” Dr Brown, who heads the Meniere’s Laboratory, told AAP this week.
“Imagine being so dizzy that you have to call an ambulance and stay in hospital for a couple of days.
“… Or if you’ve ever had a big night out and then the room is spinning and you just want it to stop – well times that by 10.”
When a sufferer experienced one of these attacks, which they dub the “dizzy terror”, in public they may be dismissed by onlookers as simply being drunk.
Dr Brown said these attacks often occurred in clusters. Stress could bring on an attack as could a diet high in salt while sufferers would also experience worsening hearing and balance problems over time.
It was also common for sufferers to report feeling increasingly sensitive to certain sounds and changes in atmospheric pressure.
Sufferers could feel uncomfortable driving in a car with the window down while routine sounds could also have a “distressing” effect.
“When you have a complex hearing loss, your brain reorganises itself,” Dr Brown said.
“They’ll flush the toilet and say that sounds awful … it can have a high-pitched wheeling. It won’t sound right.”
Dr Brown said this all added up to a debilitating condition that was enough to force some sufferers out of the workforce.
While 50,000 Australians were diagnosed with the condition the total number of sufferers could be triple this as the condition was often confused for migraine or vertigo.
Diagnosing was also no guarantee of fixing the problem, Dr Brown said, as conventional treatments alleviate the dizzy spell but do not halt the decline in hearing or balance.
“Clinicians all know about it, and know of Meniere’s sufferers, but because they can’t really help them it gets put to the side,” Dr Brown said.
“People have been studying it for the last 100 years and they drop it because they think that’s old Meniere’s Disease, no one is ever going to come up with an explanation for that or come up with a cure.
“It’s done with – we can’t work it out.”
The Meniere’s Laboratory was established last year as the culmination of about eight years of fundraising by the Meniere’s Research Fund, a group formed by Australian sufferers.
Dr Brown’s work is now focused on trying to find an improved diagnostic test for identifying excess fluid in the ear and determining the effects of the resultant build-up of pressure.
Recent studies overseas had made some headway in understanding what a sufferer experienced at the height of a dizzy attack, he said, including a spike in sensitivity for the middle ear without temporary deafness.
Dr Brown said there was a growing global momentum behind the research effort, with the aim of pushing treatment to the next step.
“The you-beaut treatment would stop the attack and prevent the degeneration of hearing and balance,” he said.
“.. And that would be a god-send for these people, allowing them to get back on with their normal lives.
“These people are distraught with the fear of when one of these attacks is going to come on.”
Chiropractics for the symptoms of Meniere’s disease
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You can find several posts on this blog regarding the use of Chiropractics for Meniere’s disease and how it may help your reduce your symptoms. It may be worth visiting a reputable cervical certified Chiropractor and have them check your spine and neck, to see if your symptoms are cervical in origin. A significantly sizable enough number of sufferers have contacted Meniere’s Help over many years and reported significant improvements with their symptoms after treatment for this to be ignored or dismissed.
Chiropractic Rehabilitation in the Treatment of Dizziness
By Donald Murphy, DC, DACAN and Craig Liebenson, DC
Dizziness is a common complaint in the chiropractic office. It is a generic term that must be clearly defined and its cause properly characterized and diagnosed for appropriate treatment to be implemented. It is a complaint that is often treatable via chiropractic manipulative and myofascial/rehabilitative procedures.
The first stage in the workup of a complaint of dizziness is to accurately identify the actual nature of the symptom. There are essentially four symptoms that can be described by a patient as being “dizziness.”
lightheadedness — The patient feels “not right in the head.”
presyncope — The patient feels “faint.”
disequilibrium — The patient feels off balance, often as if they are being “pulled to one side” and feels as if they could easily fall over.
vertigo — The patient feels as if they are spinning or the world is spinning around them. This can often occur in acute attacks, or it can be a constant, low level feeling. This can be rotatory or can occur in a sagittal plane.
Karel Lewit, MD, one of the foremost authorities in the world on locomotor system dysfunction and its effects on equilibrium, states: “It is important to stress that a cervical factor may be present in all forms of vertigo and dizziness … in no field is manipulation more effective than in the treatment of disturbances of equilibrium.”1
Because the entire locomotor as well as vestibular and visual system is involved in the regulation of equilibrium, all factors must be considered in the patient who suffers from disorders of this system. Michel Norre, noted authority in the field of vertigo and disequilibrium, states: “The dysfunction causing vertigo concerns the total balance function and not the inner ear function alone.”2 The types of dizziness that are generally most likely to fall into the chiropractic rehabilitative realm are disequilibrium and vertigo.
Disequilibrium is most often cervical in origin, as has been demonstrated by Hulse.3 It has been shown in several studies that the cervical spine plays a very strong role in the body’s regulation of equilibrium sense.4-7 In fact, Guyton7 states that the cervical spine plays the most important role in this regulation. One test that can be useful in determining whether a complaint of disequilibrium is of cervical origin is Hautant’s test.1 Have the patient sitting, preferably in a chair with back support to prevent falling, and holding their arms straight out in front of them, palms down. Have them close their eyes and observe for drifting of their arms to one side. Repeat this with the head turned to the right and to the left and often the deviation will become more marked, particularly when the head is turned to the direction of cervical joint dysfunction. This tests the ability of the cervical spine to appropriately regulate muscle tone in the extremities by properly eliciting the tonic neck reflexes.
Vertigo, as stated earlier, is by definition an abnormal sensation of movement, usually spinning. Attacks of vertigo can be elicited by various maneuvers or can be constant. When the vertigo is caused by Meniere’s disease it is accompanied by unilateral tinnitus and hearing loss. Benign positional vertigo is caused by dysfunction of the labyrinthine apparatus in the inner ear and attacks are elicited by changes of head position in space, as can be tested for utilizing the Barany maneuver. Cervicogenic vertigo also occurs in attacks and these attacks are elicited by changes of head position relative to the trunk. This can be tested for by utilizing the rotating stool test,8 wherein the patient sits on a stool that has the ability to rotate and is told to rotate their entire body from side to side while the doctor holds their head in position, thus restricting movement to the cervical spine and avoiding stimulation of the inner ear mechanism. If this elicits an attack of vertigo, it is most likely of cervical origin.
Vetebrobasilar insufficiency can cause vertigo, though with this disorder the vertigo almost never occurs by itself, rather being generally accompanied by other symptoms of brainstem ischemia, such as numbness in the ipsilateral face and/or contralateral body; nausea; vomiting; loss of consciousness; visual problems; difficulty walking; incoordination of the extremities; tinnitus; speech problems and nystagmus. The symptoms can be provoked by rotation of the cervical spine, although this is not always the case, and there may be a history of TIA. Vertigo caused by other brainstem diseases such as CP angle tumor can cause a constant, low intensity vertiginous sensation that increases in intensity as the tumor grows.
So it can be seen that before a referral or management strategy can be formulated, there must be accurate diagnosis of the cause of the disequilibrium or vertigo. There are various treatment/rehabilitative approaches that can be taken to restore normal function and eliminate the complaint.
When vertigo or disequilibrium is caused by dysfunction in the cervical spine or labyrinythine apparatus, it is most often treatable in the chiropractic setting. Optimum function of the cervical spine is essential to the recovery from these disorders regardless of the cause. Lewit10 showed that patients with Meneire’s syndrome can be effectively treated with manipulation, demonstrating that 79 percent of 21 cases showed an “excellent” outcome. Fitz-Ritson8 showed that patients with posttramatic vertigo of cervical origin treated with chiropractic manipulative, myofascial and rehabilitative procedures experienced a 90.2 percent success rate. Treatment must not only be directed towards the correction of joint dysfunction via manipulation, but must also be directed toward muscular dysfunction, such as myofascial trigger points and muscle tightness.11 In addition, faulty movement patterns that involve the cervical spine, including cervical flexion, sit-to-stand, breathing and swallowing12 must be detected and corrected. This is especially important because often these patients will have imbalance in activity between the deep neck flexors and the upper cervical extensors. Examining for this imbalance and correcting it through rehabilitative procedures will help the patient improve locomotor system function as a whole and prevent treatment resistance and recurrence of the problem.
Meniere’s disease and upper cervical chiropractic care: Video
Help other sufferers. Do you have experience with chiropractics and Meniere’s disease? Tell us all about it in the comments box below or email Mike at meniereshelp@gmail.com
San Diego-based Otonomy, which is developing treatments for Meniere’s disease, said today that it has raised $10M in a Series A financing round. The round came from Avalon Ventures. According to Otonomy, the funding will go towards supporting the ongoing clinical trial for its compound, to initiate IND studies for a second compound, and early-stage development of a third program. Otonomy is headed by Jay Lichter, who is also a managing director at Avalon Ventures. Otonomy’s first product is a sustained release formulation of steroid dexamethasone.
Can Acupuncture help reduce the symptoms of Meniere’s disease?
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Can acupuncture for Meniere’s disease help? Yes if you find a good practitioner who understands this condition.
I personally used acupuncture with mixed results, and in my humble opinion it depends on the practitioner.
I tried several, most of whom didn’t help but two were excellent. They helped rid me of most of my Meniere’s disease symptoms temporarily but were ultimately fighting a losing battle at that time.
In my case it was worth it to get relief, even if it were only for a few weeks at a time. I would also add that I have used acupuncture successfully with other problems such as sports injuries and back pain.
In the case of Meniere’s, when treated by a good practitioner it can successfully relieve dizziness, tinnitus and nausea, as well as the accompanies this condition. It is debatable as to whether acupuncture helps hearing loss but Acupuncture can be very helpful in relieving most of the symptoms.
Acupuncture for Meniere’s disease – Studies
A paper on the NIH website cites the study:
The treatment of Meniere’s disease by acupuncture
“34 patients suffering from Meniere’s disease were treated by acupuncture. Prior to acupuncture most of them had been treated with various other medical means without satisfactory results. After acupuncture treatment their condition greatly improved.
The classic symptoms of Meniere’s disease are vertigo, tinnitus and deafness, but for all the treated patients vertigo was the most uncomfortable and distressing symptom.
In all our cases vertigo stopped after a few acupuncture courses; but in our opinion it is more important to follow and control hearing threshold, since if it remains stable the other symptoms of Meniere’s disease also do not persist.
All our patients were regularly followed by careful audiometric studies several years after acupuncture treatment. In most cases hearing level had not greatly varied, so the other symptoms of Meniere’s disease were not present in any large degree.”
Study suggest acupuncture can help hearing loss in Meniere’s
The Journal of Chinese Medicine cites a study that argues acupuncture actually can help hearing loss.
Assessment of results of Acupuncture for Meniere’s disease…
Marked improvement: dizziness disappeared and hearing improved after treatment, with no relapse during a follow-up of one year.
Improvement: dizziness disappeared but hearing was not improved after 3 courses of treatment. Failure: no improvement was noted or a slight improvement with relapse during a follow-up of 6 months.
Results
Of the 72 cases, 36 were markedly improved(50.0%) after 2-3 courses of treatment, 17 improved (23.6%) and 19 failed (26.4%). The treatment was more effective in cases of short duration.
Discussion
Meniere’s disease is a non-fatal disorder, and it has not yet been reproduced in experimental animals. Consequently, material for histological study is difficult to obtain. It was long suspected that endolymphatic hydrops in the inner ear was associated with Meniere’s disease and this was confirmed by Hallpike and Cairs in 1938.
Case example A 31-year-old male teacher experienced severe dizziness, deafness and tinnitus of the left ear after his classes. He also complained of nausea and vomiting on movement of his head. The tympanic membrane was normal. Audiometry showed a sensorineural hearing loss of the left ear. Caloric test revealed that the vestibular function of his left ear was reduced. He had red eyes, a flushed complexion, dryness in the throat and a red tongue with yellow coating. His pulse was taut and rapid. The diagnosis was Meniere’s disease due to hyperactivity of Liver-yang. Electro-acupuncture to left Tinggong SI-19 or Yifeng SJ-17, and Xingjian LIV-2 or Taichong LIV-3 was administered. After two courses of treatment, the dizziness completely disappeared and his hearing improved with no relapse over 2 years.
Help other sufferers. Have you used acupuncture for Meniere’s disease? Tell us all about it in the comments box below or email Mike at meniereshelp@gmail.com
Can the symptoms of Meniere’s Disease be caused by Dental Work?
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It is relatively common for people to contact Meniere’s Disease Help who had dental work done prior to the onset of their symptoms, have dental problems, or who have amalgam fillings. All of these have been linked to Meniere’s.
Meniere’s disease caused by root canal work is also a possibility. Root canals toxicity is a controversial topic. Dentistry in general calls the possible negative effect on health throughout the body from root canals a myth.
However biological dentists do not agree. Root canal removal is a common treatment carried out by biological dentists.
In addition to that Meniere’s Help often receives emails from Meniere’s sufferers who claim the onset of their symptoms followed root canal work.
A paper at ScienceDirect.Com discusses the possible links with dental issues and Meniere’s disease here is a summary:
Meniere’s disease may be caused by common intraosseous dental pathology
– Diagnosis using the comparative compression sign
Summary “Meniere’s disease has been ascribed to a disturbance of the vestibular apparatus or its connections within the Central Nervous System.
Several hypotheses have been advanced regarding its aetiopathogenesis, but treatments based on these hypotheses have often not produced the desired results.
Two cases are described where common intraosseous pathology within the lower half of the functional face, i.e. within the mandible and maxillae, was shown to be the cause of Meniere’s disease.
Together, these cases contributed to the chance discovery of the comparative compression sign which, when able to be elicited, may be considered pathognomonic for a dental origin of the condition.
It is suggested that, in addition to other hypothesized causes involving the vestibular apparatus and the CNS, Meniere’s disease and vertigo may also be caused by common, readily-identifiable intraosseous dental pathology.
These unexpected findings open up a new field for future research.”
a23 Rechov Atzmon, Ramat Hasharon 47287, Israel
Root canal toxicity and the symptoms of Meniere’s disease
Studies have shown that there is a link between gum disease and serious chronic health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, respiratory disease, and cancer, and emerging evidence has shown that root canals pose the same health risks.
It would seem root canal capping can trap toxic bacteria in the gum. The bacteria would normally not be a problem but the root canal can trap it. That’s when it becomes toxic and cannot escape. It has to go somewhere and this leads to problems.
Possible effects can be:
Infection after root canal: After the root canal procedure, the infection can progress inside or outside the location that the root canal was performed
Accumulation of unwanted materials: Cholesterol crystals can accumulate and irritate the tissues where the root canal was done, as well as scar tissue or cystic lesions
Immune system response: The procedure can cause an overactive immune response in your body, causing negative health impacts
Toxic materials used in filling: Many dentists use materials such as amalgam to fill the tooth after a root canal is performed, which can be detrimental to your health due to mercury and other metals in the filling material
It is claimed that the health of your mouth can be directly linked to the health of your overall body.
Studies have shown that there is a link between gum disease and serious chronic health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, respiratory disease, and cancer, and emerging evidence has shown that root canals pose the same health risks.
Dr. Gerald Smith, International Center for Nutritional Research:
15 years of vertigo caused by a root canal treated tooth
“Duncan A. suffered sever vertigo for fifteen years. He had to sleep with two pillows to counteract the spinning sensation. He was also unable to fly.
Medical examination at Johns Hopkins University, Hershey Medical Center and numerous neurologists failed to diagnose Duncan’s underlying cause.
Duncan came in for an extended examination. A major red flag went up when Duncan mentioned he had a lower left second molar that was treated with root canal therapy.
When the tooth was tested by means of an energetic technique it showed the presence of infection with cytomegalovirus. Also this same virus was present in his left inner ear, which was the same side Duncan experienced his vertigo.
Treatment involved specific nutrients and home treatment with his own Rife machine. Two months into treatment his left ear popped open and his vertigo vanished. Duncan has been free of all his vertigo symptoms for the past several years.”
It’s time to pull the mysterious “dizzy terror” which afflicts at least 50,000 Australians out of medical science’s too hard basket, an Australian researcher says.
