THIS IS in reply to a query by one of our readers.

Ménière’s disease is a fairly common disorder, occurring in about 1/1000 of the population. It affects both sexes equally and tends to occur in the age range of 30 to 60 years, with 65% of cases occurring before the age of 50. In about 85% of cases only one ear is affected, however, the longer the condition lasts the more chance there is that the other ear will also be affected.

The main symptoms are: Tinnitus (ringing in the ear), hypersensitivity to loud sounds, progressive or fluctuating loss of hearing, headache and vertigo.

In the acute stages there may also be severe nausea and vomiting, profuse sweating, disabling dizziness and nystagmus (involuntary rapid rhythmic movement of the eyeball).

The frequency of attacks varies and the disease usually last for a number of years, with progressive loss of hearing.

WESTERN MEDICINE
Ménière’s disease is essentially a disease of unknown origin. There are a number of signs and symptoms related to the inner ear that seem to entail a retention of endolymph (the watery fluid in the membranous ligament in the inner ear) in the affected ear. There is no known hereditary factor.

While there is no known western medical cause, several of the following factors have been linked with this disorder:

•    Stress and anxiety.
•    A high salt intake.
•    Some women have pre-menstrual attacks which are associated with fluid retention.
•    There is a direct link with migraine in 30% of recorded cases.
•    Head injury severe enough to cause concussion.
•    Glandular or hormonal imbalance.
•    High cholesterol levels.
•    Allergies.
•    Consumption of chocolate, nicotine, alcohol, dairy products and wheat.

Medical treatment may include diet, medication and surgery.

The eventual outcome of the disease is unpredictable. In many cases the symptoms spontaneously disappear, in others however it may spread out over a number of years, with the end result being almost total destruction of hearing.

TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE (TCM) PERSPECTIVE
TCM attributes aural vertigo to phlegm and dampness obstructing the ‘middle heater’ and suppressing ‘Yang Qi’. It may also arise from depletion of ‘Kidney yin’ which causes ‘liver yang’ to rise. Deficiency of blood and Qi (failing to supply the brain) may also cause vertigo.

There are two more possible pathologies but the first two are the most common.

1.    Phlegm and damp in the ‘middle heater’.  Dizziness and vertigo will be aggravated by movement. There usually is nausea and/or vomiting; a heavy sensation in the head; and poor appetite.

2.    Kidney yin deficiency leading to Liver yang rising. Vertigo tends to follow changes in moods. There is usually tinnitus, accompanied by restlessness, irritability, headache, a feeling of fullness in the ear and a flushed face; maybe red eyes and dryness in the throat.

As usual, a thorough investigation by a qualified TCM practitioner is necessary to be sure you are diagnosed and treated in the best way possible. Results with Acupuncture vary and as a rule, the younger the disease the better your chances.

It is interesting that for this disorder there are theoretical parallels between Western medicine and TCM.

Practitioners of Western medicine observe structural changed in the physiology of the inner ear in Ménière’s disease. Much of this information is unseen from the point of view of TCM theory, which has no intrinsic knowledge of the semicircular canals, endolymph etc.

Likewise, TCM theory describes factors which are insignificant in Western medicine. Is it therefore possible to draw parallels between the apparently dissimilar Western medicine and TCM observations of Ménière’s disease?

It is interesting to note that both medical models seem to be describing the same condition i.e. phlegm blocking the channels according to TCM and increased amount of endolymph that enlarges the labyrinth in Western medicine. Both conditions display similar symptoms:
Dizziness or vertigo, nausea, tinnitus and loss of hearing: An essential part of the treatment principle, according to both medical models, is to quite literally unblock the ear!

At present only the Chinese medical model suggests any significant understanding of the aetiology of the disease. However, it is interesting to note that in a Western medical study of 300 people diagnosed as having Ménière’s disease, 86% presented indications of obesity. In Chinese medicine, obesity is considered almost synonymously with the presence of phlegm-dampness. It would seem therefore that both medical systems the same disorder in similar ways.

If you have any queries about this, or any other medical condition you might think cold be helped by TCM, please e-mail email me at:
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For appointments call 660 032 862

Robert Vandevelde: Former president of Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine association (AACMA)   

Article source: http://www.roundtownnews.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=32519&Itemid=38