The windows are open letting in the refreshing smells of spring. The master bedroom drapes drawn closed although it was mid afternoon. Even dull light was more than my migraine could tolerate. Cloudy and raining outside, I could smell the rain soaking into the once dry soil but I could not hear it drifting down from the clouds and splattering on the driveway under the bathroom window. The spinning sensation inside my head kept me nauseas and unable to stand. It was compound by the sound of a TV, a radio, or a telephone. My house was incredibly silent. I seemed to be capable of hearing the phone ring a second before it actually rang. The aggravating hissing sound in my ears left me powerless to think of anything else but it.
The diagnoses came in late spring. "You have Meniere's disease." The Eye, Ears, Nose and Throat doctor went on to say there is no cure and the original cause is unknown. I am writing a prescription for a mild diuretic. It should help control the fluid buildup in your ears. I am also writing one to help control the nausea. Your hearing will fluctuate. Until one day, you are completely deaf.
He took out a "post it" and wrote something on it. He then told me to look it up on the computer. Just that quickly, he mater of factually announced his diagnosed and even quicker, he left the examining room.
I sat in his tiny little expensive examination room devastated. Two doctors, an MRI to rule out a tumor, months of hearing and balance test, dimension classification of hearing loss and a diagnosis I have never heard of, Meniere's disease. This is just great, something else incurable.
Several days later, between migraines, I struggled to watch the computer monitor. I looked at the "post it" he had given me-Men Eire's disease. I typed in the words and received a notice; did you mean
Meniere's disease? I clicked yes. There it was Meniere's disease. Named after the French doctor Prosper Meniere . Meniere's disease is a vestibular disorder that produces an abnormally large amount of fluid called endolymph that collects in the ear, thus affecting the brain and setting off recurring symptoms.
SYMPTOMS;
- Trouble focusing on the written word
- Vertigo-sever dizziness
- Tinnitus-roaring sounds or loud ringing that never stops
- Fluctuating hearing loss
- Sensation of pressure or fullness that cannot be corrected by swallowing
- Pain in the affected ear
- Headaches
- Abdominal discomfort
- Diarrhea
ATTACK TRIGGERS;
- Stress
- Overwork
- Fatigue
- Emotional Distress
- Abdominal illness
- Pressure Changes
- Certain Foods
- Too much salt in foods
- Working in a loud environment
For me, the biggest disappointments have been the not knowing when the next sever attack will occur, the balancing act I perform each time I take a step, and entering loud or busy places. They remind me that I am not whole. That something IS WRONG with me. Even though, some days I think I am perfectly fine. Then I try to maneuver through a door way without touching, rubbing against, or bumping it.
RESOURCES
National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders or NIDCD
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