What is Meniere's Disease?

Meniere's disease is a chronic disorder of the inner ear that while uncomfortable and disruptive to quality of life, is not fatal. All symptoms are related to dysfunction in the organs of the inner ear. According to the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Meniere's disease is characterized by four major symptoms which occur with varying degrees of intensity:

• Vertigo - an intense sense of spinning. This is usually episodic and can range from mild to severe. The vertigo attacks of Meniere's disease are rotational and the duration of each episode must be at least 20 minutes in order to be classified as Meniere's disease.
• Hearing loss - fluctuating low-frequency sensorineural hearing loss that becomes worse during attacks and may permanently deteriorate over time.
• Tinnitus - typically a low tone ringing or roaring noise in the ears.
• Aural fullness - a sense of fullness in the ear.

Initial presentation of symptoms for Meniere's disease is variable among patients. Some people may experience a fully-developed attack of Meniere's disease with all of its symptomatic manifestations, while for others, vertigo or other symptoms may appear alone and precede fully developed Meniere's disease by many months or years.

Some important facts about Meniere's disease include:

• Meniere's disease most often affects adults between the ages of 40 to 60. Isolated symptoms can appear between ages 20and 60. It is uncommon for people older than age 60 to develop Meniere's disease.
• Approximately 40,000 new cases of Meniere's disease are diagnosed annually in the United States.
• Only about 3% of patients diagnosed with Meniere's disease are children.
• Male to female ratio ranges from equal to a slight preponderance of females over males. Some women report improvement of symptoms following pregnancy.
• In approximately 5% of cases of Meniere's disease, there is a positive family history for the condition indicating that there is a genetic component in a subset of individuals with Meniere's disease.
• Although most cases of Meniere's disease are unilateral, approximately 10-50% of patients also develop symptoms in the opposite ear.
• There is no predominance of right or left ear.

Knowledge is Critical when Dealing with a Life-Altering Condition such as Meniere's Disease

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with Meniere's disease, it's critical to learn everything you possibly can about this condition so that you can make informed decisions about your treatment. That's why we created the Medifocus Guidebook on Meniere's Disease, a comprehensive 144 page patient Guidebook that contains vital information about Meniere's disease that you won't find anywhere in a single source.

The Medifocus Guidebook on Meniere's Disease starts out with a detailed overview of the condition and quickly imparts fundamentally important information about Meniere's disease, including:

• The theories regarding the underlying causes of Meniere's disease.
• The triggers that may precipitate an acute attack of Meniere's disease in some patients.
• How Meniere's disease is diagnosed based on factors such as signs/symptoms, patient history, physical examination, and audiometric (hearing) studies.

• Specific balance tests that are often used to confirm the presence of vertigo associated with Meniere's disease. These balance tests may include:

  • Electronystagmogram
  • Sharpened Romberg test
  • Dix-Hallpike maneuver
  • Rotational test

• The stages in the progression of Meniere's disease from initial signs/symptoms to severe, incapacitating vertigo attacks and complete hearing loss, if left untreated

Understanding the Standard Treatments...and the Treatment Options

Because currently there is no known cure for Meniere's disease, the goal of treatment is to control and relieve the symptoms - particularly vertigo - that patient's with Meniere's disease report as the single, most bothersome symptom. Controlling the symptoms of Meniere's disease is important because it enables patients to continue to perform routine activities of daily living and maintain a reasonably good quality of life. Understanding the treatments - and the treatment options - is critical for successfully achieving both control of symptoms and preserving quality of life. As you read through the section of the Guidebook that focuses on the treatments for Meniere's disease, you will specifically learn about:

• The medications that are commonly prescribed for the management of acute vertigo attacks in patients with Meniere's disease.
• A new implantable device, called the Meniett device, that delivers intermittent pulses of positive air pressure to the inner ear and has been shown to significantly reduce the severity of vertigo in people with Meniere's disease.

• The surgical treatment options that are available for patients with Meniere's disease who experience severe, unremitting episodes of vertigo that cannot be controlled with more conservative treatments. These surgical treatments include:

  • Endolymphatic sac surgery
  • Labyrinthectomy
  • Vestibular neurectomy

• The risks, benefits, and complications, associated with the various surgical techniques that are used for the treatment of Meniere's disease.

• The role of cochlear implants and vestibular rehabilitation in the management of people with Meniere's disease.
• Nutritional and lifestyle modifications that can help you better control the symptoms of Meniere's disease.
• The role of complementary and alternative therapies in the management of Meniere's disease.
• Important questions to ask your doctor about Meniere's disease.

A "One-of-a-Kind" Reference Guidebook on Meniere's Disease that Goes Way Beyond the Fundamentals

Since 1996, when Medifocus was founded, we've learned that many people with Meniere's Disease are seeking more specific information that goes beyond the fundamentals, such as the causes, diagnosis, standard treatments, and treatment options. That's why we developed a "one-of-a-kind" reference Guidebook that goes way beyond the basics and also includes the following sections:

• A Guide to Recent Medical Literature on Meniere's Disease - This section of the Guidebook contains an extensive bibliography of over 100 references to recently published articles about Meniere's Disease in authoritative, peer-reviewed medical journals with links to the absracts (summaries) of the articles. These articles represent the latest advances in the field and focus on cutting-edge research, new developments, and the lessons learned from recently published studies involving patients with Meniere's Disease. This is the same level of that is used by doctors who treat people with Meniere's Disease to keep abreast of the latest developments and breakthroughs in this specialized field of medicine.

• Centers of Research for Meniere's Disease - We've compiled a unique directory of doctors, hospitals, medical centers, and research institutions with special interest and, in many cases, clinical expertise in managing people with Meniere's Disease. The "Centers of Research" directory is a valuable resource for quickly identifying and locating leading medical authorities and medical institutions both within the United States and other countries who are considered to be at the forefront in clinical research and treatment of Meniere's Disease. You'd have to spend days - or even weeks - attempting to compile your own list of doctors and medical centers but, with the "Centers of Research" directory, the information is already right at your fingertips. All you have to do is act on the information by selecting and contacting the experts or medical institutions listed in the directory by state and country.

• Organizations and Support Groups for Meniere's Disease - The Guidebook also includes a directory of organizations and support groups whose goal is to help people with Meniere's Disease by providing access to information, resources, and services. Many of these organizations can answer your specific questions, enable you to "network" with other patients, and provide guidance in areas such as financial, social, or medical-legal issues. This valuable directory of organizations and support groups includes complete contact information, including phone numbers and E-mail addresses.

Look Inside the Guidebook

The Guidebook is a Value-Added Proposition that Comes with a Risk-Free Satisfaction Guarantee so that...You have Nothing to Lose and Everything to Gain

Still not sure if you'll benefit from the Medifocus Guidebook on Meniere's Disease? Still not convinced that the information included in the Guidebook is worth the minimal cost? If that's the case, then please consider the following value-added proposition that comes standard with your purchase of the Guidebook:

• Free Updates for One Year - Along with your initial purchase of the Guidebook, you also receive free updates for one-full year.

• 20% Discount - For a limited time, you can purchase the Medifocus Guidebook on Meniere's Disease at a special 20% discount off the regular list price. Your 20% discount will automatically be applied when you go to "Checkout".

• Risk-Free Satisfaction Guarantee - Your purchase comes with our RISK-FREE satisfaction guarantee. If, for whatever reason, you are not totally satisfied with the content of your Guidebook, simply contact us within 30-days of your purchase for a prompt, full refund. We are so confident that you will be satisfied with your Guidebook that we offer this RISK-FREE satisfaction guarantee unconditionally - no questions and no hassles.

Order Your Copy of the Medifocus Guidebook on Meniere's Disease Today!

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