Meniere's Disease

Q Can Meniere's disease be completely cured, or is it a condition I have to manage for life?

A. Rather than a complete cure, a realistic goal is to maximize the attack-free stable periods. With active management, attacks sometimes resolve naturally, but because there is a constitutional tendency, continuing lifestyle management over the long term is important for preserving hearing and maintaining quality of life.

Q I'm constantly anxious because I never know when an attack will come, and I can't even go out anymore. Is psychological distress also something you treat?

A. Yes. Anticipatory anxiety about Meniere's attacks and panic-like symptoms are commonly accompanying. Because anxiety stimulates the sympathetic nervous system and worsens inner ear blood flow, psychological distress is also an important axis of treatment. When Korean medicine treatment stabilizes the mind and the qi and blood, anxiety and attacks decrease together.

Q What happens if Meniere's, which started in one ear, spreads to the other ear as well?

A. Meniere's disease starts in one ear at first, but in 10-50% of cases it can progress to both ears. When it becomes bilateral, both balance function and hearing are more severely affected, so management that reduces attack frequency and suppresses progression early is especially important.

Q When a severe vertigo attack suddenly hits, what should I do right away at home?

A. Immediately lie down or sit in a safe place to prevent falls, keep your head still, and fix your gaze on one point. If nausea or vomiting is severe, take an antiemetic and rest quietly. If the vertigo comes with one-sided paralysis or a speech disturbance, go to the emergency room at once.

Q What daily habits are important for preventing Meniere's attacks in everyday life?

A. A low-salt diet, regular fluid intake, moderation in caffeine and alcohol, sufficient sleep, and stress management are the key preventive habits. Maintaining fluid balance through a consistent daily rhythm is the most effective way to reduce attack frequency.

Q During a vertigo attack, the vomiting is severe and it lasts more than twelve hours. What are the criteria for going to the emergency room?

A. A Meniere's attack usually subsides within 20 minutes to 12 hours. If it lasts more than 12 hours or is accompanied by one-sided paralysis, double vision, or a speech disturbance, you must go to the emergency room at once to rule out a central cause such as a stroke. Also visit the hospital if severe vomiting raises concern about dehydration.

Q I'm taking prescribed diuretics and betahistine. Is it safe to take herbal medicine together?

A. In general, herbal medicine and Western medication can be taken together if you space them 1-2 hours apart. If you tell us at your visit which drugs and doses you are taking, we adjust the herbal formula accordingly, and once symptoms stabilize, we adjust the Western medication step by step in consultation with your otolaryngologist.

Q If I have Meniere's disease, will I eventually lose my hearing? Is there a way to stop the progression?

A. Hearing can gradually decline as attacks recur, but reducing attack frequency early and managing your lifestyle thoroughly can slow the progression. Not every patient progresses to severe hearing loss.

Q I have attacks several times a month. With treatment, how much can the interval between attacks be lengthened?

A. Treatment response varies by individual, but with active management, attack frequency often drops significantly to about once every several months. Combining lifestyle management, medication, and Korean medicine treatment, a realistic goal is to extend the attack-free stable periods.

Q What exactly causes Meniere's disease? What does it mean that fluid builds up inside the ear?

A. Meniere's disease is caused by endolymphatic hydrops, in which lymph fluid accumulates excessively in the endolymphatic sac of the inner ear and raises the pressure. This increased pressure repeatedly irritates the inner ear, which governs balance and hearing, producing attacks of spinning vertigo, tinnitus, a feeling of ear fullness, and fluctuating hearing loss.

Q What are the four cardinal symptoms of Meniere's disease, and why do vertigo, tinnitus, ear fullness, and hearing loss all come at once?

A. When endolymphatic pressure rises sharply, the balance organ and the cochlea are affected simultaneously, producing vertigo, tinnitus, ear fullness, and fluctuating hearing loss together. Vertigo attacks usually last 20 minutes to 12 hours, and as attacks recur, hearing gradually declines.

Q I've heard I need a low-salt diet, but exactly how much is appropriate and what foods should I avoid?

A. It is recommended to limit daily sodium intake to 1,500-2,000 mg (about 3.8-5 g of salt) or less. Reduce salty foods such as processed foods, fast food, salted seafood, and soybean-paste stew, and drink water regularly to minimize fluctuations in endolymphatic pressure.

Q When I'm under a lot of stress, my vertigo attacks seem to come more often. Is there really a connection?

A. Yes, the connection is clear. Stress disrupts the autonomic nervous system, unsettling inner ear blood flow and fluid balance, which can raise endolymphatic pressure and trigger Meniere's attacks. Lack of sleep and overwork increase attack risk in the same way.

Q If I visit a Korean medicine clinic for the first time for Meniere's disease near Dong-gu, Incheon or Dongincheon, how does the consultation proceed?

A. At the first consultation, we listen in detail to the nature of your vertigo (duration, frequency, pre-attack sensations), changes in hearing, the characteristics of ear fullness and tinnitus, and the medications you are taking, and then examine you. After identifying your pattern type—such as phlegm-induced dizziness or Kidney deficiency—we design the herbal prescription and lifestyle management direction together.

Q What stages does Dongjedang use to treat Meniere's disease? I'd like to know specifically.

A. Based on draining water and resolving phlegm (isu-hwadam) to resolve phlegm-fluid and clear fluid retention, treatment proceeds through the stages of clearing the upper body (bringing down heat in the head), detoxifying (removing phlegm-fluid and blood stasis), and tonifying the Kidney (reinforcing Kidney deficiency). Acupuncture at points around the ear is added to herbal medicine to improve inner ear circulation as well.

Q I want to know how herbal medicine and acupuncture work for Meniere's disease.

A. Herbal medicine revitalizes spleen and stomach functions to dissolve phlegm and restore water metabolism, while acupuncture stimulates acupoints around the ears to improve blood circulation in the inner ear. When these two treatments are combined, one can expect effects such as lowering endolymphatic pressure and reducing seizures.

Q I am taking diuretics, but I am experiencing persistent dizziness attacks. Can traditional Korean medicine treatment be of additional help?

A. While diuretics help lower endolymphatic pressure, they have limitations in fundamentally regulating water metabolism. Traditional Korean medicine can address the internal causes of water retention, complementing residual episodes and poor physical condition that are difficult to resolve with diuretics alone.

Q I've been told to get an intratympanic steroid injection, but I'm scared and hesitant. Can I expect similar effects from Korean traditional medicine treatment?

A. Intratympanic steroid injections are effective in rapidly suppressing inflammation, but they are an invasive procedure. Korean traditional medicine can play a complementary role in reducing the frequency of attacks by improving blood circulation in the inner ear and dissolving phlegm; it is an option you can try first if you are reluctant to receive injections.