Causes of Meniere's Disease

Meniere's disease is a disorder of the inner ear. The cause of Meniere's disease is idiopathic-meaning that the cause is not known. However, the symptoms of Meniere's disease are associated with the disorder or infection of the fluids in the labyrinth (a bisected portion of the inner ear that contains certain fluids). Most audiologists (ear specialists) believe that the abnormality of fluids in the inner ear is responsible for most symptoms of Meniere's disease.

Abnormality of fluids in the inner ear

The labyrinth consists of two semi-circular canals; the bony and membranous canals. The bony portion of the labyrinth contains certain fluids called endolymph and it is responsible for balance and hearing. Whenever you move your head, the fluids inside the bony labyrinth (endolymph) also move and transmit a message to the brain via the nerves so that the brain interprets the orientation of your body.

There's a little space between the bony and membranous labyrinth that contain some fluids called perilymph. If the perilymph and endolymph mix due to excess endolymph (endolymphatic hydrops) or other causes, wrong messages are transmitted to the brain. The brain misinterprets these messages and transmits a wrong message about your body orientation.

The cause of increased endolymph is not known, but several conditions are believed to be role players in causing endolymphatic hydrops.

According to Moore, K.L (1985:975), an abnormal increase in the amount of endolymph is called hydrops of the internal ear or Meniere's disease. These excess fluids produce recurrent vertigo (dizziness) that is accompanied in later stages by tinnitus or noises in the ear and deafness.

Here are factors that may cause the abnormality of fluids in the inner ear, producing Meniere's disease:

• Environmental causes
• Viral and Bacterial causes
• Biological factors such as:
  • Middle ear infections (otitis media)
• Head, neck or ear injuries (or surgery)
• Fatigue
• Stress
• Migraine
• Autoimmune reaction (allergies)
• Alcohol or smoking
• Syphilis

Symptoms of Meniere's disease may also have a lot to do with the type of foods we eat or out diet. As already mentioned, causes of Meniere's disease are idiopathic, so you need to avoid anything that may cause irritation or infections.

References:
Moore , K.L. (1985). Clinically Oriented Anatomy. Second edition. Library of Congress Catalog in Publication Data. Toronto : USA