Those of us with Meniere's Disease, or Meniere's syndrome, know all about nasty surprises, like when the world around you suddenly begins to spin out of control, or when you wake up one morning nearly deaf, or even having the floor reach up and grab you, robbing you of all control of your own environment. The worst of the nasty surprises associated with Meniere's, however, may come when you make your first visit to the Ear, Nose and Throat specialist, only to learn that the medical community can offer you no good information or treatment for your condition.
Doctors don't know what causes Meniere's, nor how to effectively treat or cure it. They can't tell a patient how severe the symptoms will be, nor how long they will last. They can't offer any truly effective medication to relieve the distressing and life altering symptoms of vertigo, tinnitus, and hearing loss. They are powerless to still the roaring of the steel plant inside your head, and the fullness and pressure in your ears that makes it feel as though your head is encased in concrete.
They can suggest that you begin a low salt diet, they can prescribe a diuretic and advise you to avoid caffeine and alcohol. They can, in some areas of the world, prescribe betaserc, or Serc to help control the vertigo, and meclizine for nausea and vomiting that often comes along with the vertigo, but they can't guarantee the medication will work. They can suggest diazepam to help relieve the anxiety, (read raw terror), nausea and tinnitus, and they also give you the good news: Meniere's is not life threatening. But guess what, it is.
Meniere's will change your life, forever. No, it won't kill you. It isn't cancer, or heart disease, but it can kill your spirit, your sense of security and your confidence, as well as the ability to drive, and sometimes it can cost you your job. It can cause depression, anxiety and overwhelming fear. It can make you helpless and powerless. It can do all these things, if you choose to allow it. If you decide you want to put up a fight, you can find a way to live with it, and if you are willing to go on the offensive with this awful condition, you can take your life back. It will probably not be the same life you had before Meniere's, when you didn't have to worry about getting dizzy at work or finding a way to hear your grandchildren in a restaurant, but it will be your life, and there are those who would help you win the fight.
Here are some tips for establishing your life again as a Meniere's patient:
--Find a specialist you trust and like. You will need a doctor who will take the time to talk to you and then you need to ask, ask, ask all the questions you have. If you feel you're being brushed off with routine answers, find another doctor.
--Explain your condition to those close to you. Discuss your symptoms and what you know about Meniere's with your family and your colleagues and the boss at work and make it clear to them that you will do everything in your power to manage the disease and remain active in life and at work. Enlist their help. A visit to the Human Resource office, or your union rep. may be necessary to acquaint yourself with your rights and benefits.
--Take the advice you are given by your medical professionals. There is clearly a lack of valid information about this disease, but there are some things that are known. A low salt diet is advisable to reduce the fluid buildup in the inner ear. Too much caffeine and alcohol can exacerbate the symptoms, especially the dizziness and balance problems. Sometimes it is a bad idea to drive, especially if your vertigo comes on with no warning. Exercise, when you feel up to it, is good and getting healthy through proper diet and taking care of yourself, including getting proper rest, will empower you, even though there are no studies to show they actually help control the disease itself. There is some indication that Meniere's patients who are physically fit generally handle the symptoms better.
--Learn everything you can about Meniere's. Read articles, research information you find on the internet, but don't accept everything you read as gospel. If one thing is certain in this crazy disease, it's that nothing is certain, and everyone is different. Simply arming yourself with a bank of knowledge will help you feel like you are taking proactive measures to reassert control over your own life. Try things that look like they may be of some help, like diet regimens, homeopathic and natural treatments, acupuncture. Before taking any medications or supplements, however, check with your doctor. Here are two helpful websites to get you started: http://www.medicinenet.com/meniere_disease/article.htm
http://www.menieresinfo.com/
http://www.menieresinfo.com/
--Use the resources that are available. Get a hearing aid, if your hearing is a casualty of Meniere's. Take a taxi if you're afraid to drive. Establish a quiet place at work where you can relax if you feel dizzy. Look for ways to live with the symptoms you have, instead of wasting time wishing for a cure. Self-pity is unproductive and feeds on itself, eroding your self-esteem, and your strength.
--Find a new normal. People who hope to live a normal life after developing Meniere's must be open to finding what will now be normal for them. It may be finding a new favorite restaurant, establishing alternatives for driving when attacks are frequent, arranging to work at home or finding a job that allows for the time you may need during attacks. The important thing is to set priorities, investigate possibilities, and implement solutions.
--Don't give up. Don't abandon the things you love and don't think of your episodes of vertigo, or helplessness, as permanent. If you can't visit your favorite restaurant because the noise and lighting bring on episodes of vertigo, find another restaurant that doesn't do those things. If you can't drive, enlist the help of your spouse or a friend. If you can't hear your grandchildren when you take them to the zoo, get a hearing aid. Sometimes it helps to think of your symptoms as temporary. Doctors do know that for many sufferers of Meniere's symptoms, especially for those with vertigo, episodes are sporadic, and for many, disappear or reduce in frequency with time.
--Find support. While Meniere's sufferers are few and far between when you look around your community, we are now a global society joined by the internet, and a number of online groups, including Meniere's.com, offer support for sufferers, including blogs, up to date information, and online chat opportunities. Meniere's is a condition that is rare, misunderstood and isolating, but there is strength in numbers, and there is an online community, one that shares your frustration. Some of them have great ideas that really help, some are reaching out for your support, some are in dire need of reliable information, but... they all share your pain.
It's true, Meniere's is not life threatening, but it is certainly lifestyle-threatening. Those of us who suffer, however, would probably choose Meniere's over cancer or heart disease. It is a disabling, angst ridden, uncontrollable condition that can ruin your life, cause anxiety and depression and isolation, or not. With help, and determination, you can learn to live with Meniere's, and eventually, you can live the life you want to live. When you think about it, anyone who can throw up into a pail over the side of a bed for three hours while the room spins around them, who can shop for groceries and check out at the market without hearing a word the cashier is saying, and who can sing along to the beat pounding in one's head can do anything, even conquer Meniere's.
Consider these eight tips to regain your life after a diagnosis of Meniere's disease.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Luanne_Zuccari
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