Re: Treating Meniere's

[Guest guest]

The mainstay of treatment is directed towards attempts to decrease the fluid pressure in the inner ear. This is done by aggressive salt-restriction, sometimes in combination with a diuretic ("water pill"). A diuretic alone will not overcome the inner ear's ability to retain salt, so this medication should be reserved for patients in whom salt-restriction alone is insufficient. It is important not to decrease salt intake too much, as sodium is an essential mineral for the body to function. However, in practice this is not too much of a concern since most people find any sodium restriction to be a greater challenge than over-restriction. The goal is to reduce your daily sodium intake to 1500-2000 milligrams. This involves more than not sprinkling salt on your food. It requires diligence in precisely measuring your sodium intake from all sources by inspecting package labels and kitchen habits. Restaurant eating must usually be limited since it is difficult to accurately

quantify sodium intake in that setting, and the foods are typically highly salted. top Some guidelines for maintaining a low-salt diet are as follows: Do not add salt to food or cooking. If this is too difficult at first, try halving the amount of salt you add to recipes and at the table. If you slowly work your way down it will be much easier. Also, potassium containing salt substitutes are okay, and may be used if desired. Restrict salt (sodium) intake to between 1500 milligrams (mg) to 2000 mg daily Avoid high-salt (sodium) foods (see table) Drink 6-8 glasses of fresh (unsoftened) water per day Table: Guidelines for a low-salt diet Food Group High-salt foods to avoid Low-salt foods to look for Dairy Buttermilk; Cocoa mix; Processed cheeses Skim or low-fat milk; Low-fat yogurt; Low-sodium cheeses Vegetables Regular canned vegetables and vegetable juices; canned soups; olives; pickles; sauerkraut Fresh, frozen or low-sodium canned vegetables and juices; low-salt soups Bread Salted crackers; pizza; baked goods prepared

with salt; baking soda; some cereals and convenience mixes Whole-grain or enriched breads and cereals; low-salt crackers and bread sticks Snacks Potato and other chips; pretzels; salted nuts and snack mixes Unsalted popcorn; fresh or dried fruit Other Ketchup; prepared mustard; soy sauce; MSG; bouillon cubes; meat sauces; some antacid medications; commercial salad dressings; frozen, ready-made entrees; fast food meals Salad bars; Plainer selections During the severe, episodic attacks medications may be used to suppress the vertigo and nausea. epam (Valium) works well. Another oral drug that is commonly used is meclizine (Antivert). Both of these are sedating. One

problem with these medications for an acute attack is that if nausea is severe they can be impossible to keep it down. In this circumstance antihistamine suppositories such as promethazine (Phenergan) are very useful. It is important to reserve these vestibular suppressants for the acute attacks of vertigo. When used long-term they impair the body's ability to recover from inner ear injuries, and can produce chronic imbalance. top Surgery for Meniérè's disease When medical therapy fails to control the vertigo associated with Meniérè's disease, surgical intervention should be considered. Surgical options should be divided into those that preserve residual hearing in the affected ear, and those that destroy it. The latter are typically more reliable in their ability to control vertigo, but should only be undertaken if the residual

hearing is minimal or not useful, and if the other ear has useful hearing and is not expected to become more severely affected. There are many other considerations that go into choosing what type of procedure is best for each person. Some of the more commonly performed procedures are: chemical perfusion of the inner ear ("Gentamicin injection;" this can be performed in the office and is easily repeated if need be), endolymphatic sac surgery, vestibular nerve section and transmastoid labyrinthectomy. The pros and cons of each of these procedures should be discussed in detail with the physician, who will perform the treatment so as to choose the option that is best for each individual. Suzi List Owner health/ http://360./suziesgoats What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.

Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Search.