Medical Questions » Ears Questions » Question No. 302
Question: | It is of very great import to me doctor that you reply, because I' ve been suffering from noises in my ears for twelve years. I' m also going deaf. I' ve been to specialists and they say there is nothing to be done. Please can you help me? |
Answer: | I believe that you are suffering from Meniere' s disease. Meniere was a physician in Paris in the early part of the nineteenth century who described a syndrome that consisted of dizziness, deafness and a constant noise in the ears.
The exact cause is not known, but there is usually a build-up in the pressure of the fluid inside the hearing and balance mechanisms of the inner ear.
The most distressing symptom is the constant noise (tinnitus is the technical term) in the ear. This is usually a high-pitched ringing, but may be a dull roar in some people.
Unfortunately, treatment is not very satisfactory, and new drugs and devices are constantly being tried to give relief.
Among the drugs, Sere, Adalat and Minipress (all are available on prescription only), act to increase the blood supply to the inner ear, and have been successful in some people. Other drugs tried with varying success are various anti-histamincs, diuretics, prochlorperazine, amitriptyline and chlorpromazine (most are on prescription).
None of these have more than a 50-50 chance of success, but may be tried to see if they give relief.
If medication is successful in controlling the nausea and dizziness, but not the noises, a tinnitus masker may be beneficial. This is a hearing-aid type of device that is worn in the ear and emits a constant tone that counteracts the noise already heard in the ear. It may take some experimentation to find the right one for each patient, but with persistence, many can be helped.
There are also microsurgical techniques to help the sufferers of Meniere' s disease.
Those who do suffer should not despair, but keep trying the various methods of treatment that are available, in the hope that one will suit them.
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