Meniere’s disease is a rare vestibular condition that only affects 0.2% of people. In a patient with Meniere’s disease, the inner ear has a build up of excess fluid, leading to symptoms like tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and vertigo.
The vertigo episodes and other symptoms may come on periodically and unexpectedly, making it hard to anticipate when someone will be incapacitated due to the disease. The good news is that a natural form of care has been successful in helping some Meniere’s disease patients find relief from their condition. If you are suffering from Meniere’s disease, continue reading to learn more about Meniere’s and how our upper cervical chiropractors in Rockford, Illinois, can help you manage your condition.
Symptoms of Meniere’s Disease
Meniere’s disease comes with several symptoms. These symptoms are mostly related to inner ear problems that sometimes affect the body’s balance system.
Vertigo
Vertigo is the most notable symptom of Meniere’s. One episode may be as short as 20 minutes and as long as 24 hours. When a person experiences vertigo, he or she may feel as if the surroundings are spinning, even though there is no movement actually happening. This can cause someone to lose their balance.
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Tinnitus
Tinnitus is ringing in the ears or hearing other noises like hissing or buzzing that are not actually present. Like vertigo, it is a common symptom among those who have Meniere’s disease.
Hearing loss
As Meniere’s worsens and progresses, the person affected may experience hearing loss. The patient may only discover this during a hearing exam. Preventing the disease from progressing is essential to preventing the hearing loss associated with it.
A feeling of fullness in the ear
This is often due to fluid build up in the inner ear. It may be that the eustacian tubes are not properly draining or regulating the fluid levels.
Nausea
Nausea associated with Meniere’s disease occurs because the body’s balance system is thrown off. The mismatched signals from the various sensory inputs that the brain uses to maintain balance, such as visual input, sensory input from the extremities, and the input from the inner ear, can result in motion sickness. Vomiting may also occur.
Nystagmus
When nystagmus happens, the eyes have abmormal jerking motions. Nystagmus often occurs in conjuction with vertigo. According to researchers, this happens when the eyes try to see the movement that the body is feeling. And because nothing is really moving, the eyes jerk in different directions to understand the sensation.
Exhaustion
Experiencing either one or two of the symptoms above will be exhausting for the individual going through it. Sometimes, the exhaustion can trigger another attack. Doctors usually advise Meniere’s patients to be well-rested and keep themselves stress-free.
Migraines
Migraine attacks for a person with Meniere’s disease are much worse. Because both conditions are neurological in nature, the effects are compounded.
Upper Cervical Care for Meniere’s Disease
How can upper cervical chiropractic care help with a condition that is in the ears? The answer is through the proper alignment of the top bone of the spine.
The atlas vertebra sits just under the skull. It supports the weight of the head and enables it to have a wide range of motion. Due to it’s great mobility, it is also susceptible to misaligning. The atlas vertebra also protects the brainstem that passes through it, and ensures safe passage for cerebral spinal fluid and blood to reach the brain. When the atlas is not in proper alignment, it can affect the body parts that are nearby.
The atlas is also in close proximity to the ears. Researchers have discovered a correlation between head trauma experienced 15 or more years in the past and the onset of Meniere’s disease. Many of these patients had a lesion on their eustacian tubes. Researchers believe that an atlas misalignment caused by the head trauma eventually resulted in a eustacian tube lesion that prevented the regulation of inner ear fluid, culminating in the onset of Meniere’s disease.
Upper cervical chiropractors have had success in treating Meniere’s disease by correcting the alignment of the atlas vertebrae. This allows the body to heal any damage done by the misalignment and begin to properly regulate the inner ear fluid.
For those suffering from vertigo and Meniere’s Disease, we offer an effective and natural way to find relief. If you live in Illinois and are looking for upper cervical chiropractors in Rockford, contact us at Upper Cervical Care Center – Rockford. We can help you on your health and healing journey.
To schedule a consultation with Dr Schalow, call our Rockford office at 815-384-1127. You can also click the button below.
If you are outside of the local area you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.
