According to a story from prweb.com, a possible cause of Meniere’s disease may have been discovered by Dr. Michael Burcon, who has a dedicated a significant portion of his career to researching the condition. His findings could considerably change how Meniere’s disease is understood in the medical community
Meniere’s disease is a disorder of the inner ear that results in episodic attacks of a variety of symptoms, such as vertigo, loss of hearing, ringing in the ears, and a sensation of fullness in the ear. These episodes can vary in length, ranging anywhere from 20 minutes to several hours. The attacks can be unpredictable, with varied timing between episodes as well as variable duration. In most cases, only one ear is affected, though both may become involved over time. Treatment options for Meniere’s disease are poorly supported by scientific evidence. Women tend to be affected more often than men. Nausea and anxiety can also occur. Generally, after a period of anywhere from five to fifteen years, the episodic attacks subside. However, generally the patient is still affected by long term hearing loss, balance problems, and ear ringing. To learn more about Meniere’s disease, click here.
Although the disorder was first described in the early 19th century, the cause has always been a subject of confusion; typically, a combination of genetic and environmental factors were considered. A family history of the disorder is also considered a risk factor, but Dr. Burcon’s theory is completely different from what has been proposed in the past. Dr. Burcon is convinced that a blow to the head, or other forms of trauma to the head area, such as whiplash or concussion from a car crash for instance, could play a major role. The result of these events is often subtle shifts in the positioning of the brain and damage to ligaments. The reason this was not discovered earlier was that it could take a minimum of fifteen or twenty years after the damaging event for symptoms to appear.