The Influence of Vertigo, Hearing Impairment and Tinnitus on the Daily Life of Meniere Patients

Abstract

The aim of this questionnaire study was to investigate the impact of the symptoms in Meniere's disease on the daily life of patients and to analyse the relationships between the cardinal symptoms and environmental, emotional and activity factors. The study comprised 514 patients, recruited from two different sources. The results showed that vertigo, hearing impairment and tinnitus had a strong negative influence on the daily life of patients. Seventy-five percent of the subjects avoided certain everyday activities or situations because of the disease. However, the correlation between discomfort and reported satisfaction with life was moderate. Most of the subjects experienced premonitory symptoms of the attacks and 80% reported relations between external factors and vertigo attacks.

Psychological assessment of patients with Menière's disease

“…It has also been shown that Menière patients experience a bad quality of life, and vertigo seems to be the most influencing factor on the major implications of this disease on their daily lives (Cohen et al, 1995;Hagnebo et al, 1997;Sö derman et al, 2002). A strong sense of coherence (ability to cope with stressful situations) appears to be an important predictor of Menière patients' perception of symptoms and quality of life, according to Sö derman et al, 2001.…”

Evaluation of Booklet-Based Self-Management of Symptoms in Ménière Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial

“…Drugs that suppress vestibular symptoms often have central side effects and may retard adaptation, and so VR has been recommended as the treatment of choice for vertigo and dizziness after vestibular damage (29 -31). VR cannot prevent acute spontaneous attacks of vertigo in Ménière disease but might provide a useful means of coping with the residual provoked dizziness and unsteadiness reported by most people with Ménière disease (32)(33)(34). However, there has been no controlled trial to date of the benefits of VR in Ménière disease.…”

“…There is also evidence that hyperventilation may contribute to vestibular symptoms (38 -40) and that controlled breathing can reduce the nausea caused by disorientation (41). It is widely believed by clinicians and patients that stress can contribute to attacks of vertigo (4,10,34), and so stress-reduction techniques such as planning and time management might also prove beneficial. Many of these cognitive-behavioral techniques have been used successfully in conjunction with VR for vestibular disorder, though not specifically for Ménière disease (42)(43)(44)(45).…”

Positive experiences associated with tinnitus and balance problems

“…Each of these symptoms has a negative impact on the affected patient, as has been generally reported (1,2). In the past few years, also some positive experiences have been identified in association with hearing impairments (3,4) as well as with certain specific audiovestibular disorders such as neurofibromatosis 2 and Menière's disorder (5,6).…”

“…Its prevalence varies from 8 to 500 per 100,000 depending on the population and diagnostic criteria used (12). At the early phase of the disease, the balance symptoms are often most disturbing, while in the long run, hearing loss combined with tinnitus can cause more problems (1). Balance symptoms influence the physical dimension of quality of life, whereas hearing loss and tinnitus influence the psychosocial dimensions (2).…”