- Aug 3, 2016
- 1
- Tinnitus Since
- June 26 2016
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Meniere's Disease
Hello Everyone,
Three days ago I was diagnosed by the ENT with Meniere's. I have been dealing with on/off vertigo and ear fullness for a month before i was diagnosed with MD. It has changed my life in many ways.
Only a month ago i am very active, i play 2 basketball leagues, i run regularly and hike every month. I also have a very lively social life. I go out every weekends with my friends we would drink, eat.. just splurge.
And then the ear fullness came. I thought it was just earwax but it wasn't. my GP thought it was infection, but it wasn't. The ear fullness is coupled with buzzing/static sound that is very irritating. And also i would lose low frequency hearing. All i can hear are high pitched sound which are also irritating. They are on/off until now. I have missed my basketball games, i am not able to do running, and i never go out anymore.
Days i am able to go to work, i'll be exhausted by the end of 8 hours. When i reach home all i want to do is get to my bed and lay down. I have to will myself to eat and drink water. The dizzinesss is exhausting. I can't eat the regular food i used to eat. I have limited my sodium intake to less than 1500mg per day. I have completely removed caffeine and salt. I have not had any beer in a month. My diet includes salad and unmarinated meats. no more soda and coffee. and chocolates. no more chips too.
I have developed anxiety when i learned the disease has no known cure. Every attack of the disease i would be reduced to tears. I would cry by myself or sometimes i would call a friend and cry on the phone. I have problem sleeping too because of this. I would fall asleep but after an hour or two i would wake up all sweaty. And putting myself back to sleep is almost impossible after that. And all i can do is follow this low sodium/caffeine diet. Which puts me in this diseases mercy... whether it would cooperate or not.
My friends and family are supportive of me, always give me encouraging words but i still feel that they don't understand what i am going through. I know MD is not life threatening but it's incapacitating. You know you have the arms and legs to walk and do things but the disease just wont allow me to use them. Im always either exhausted or dizzy. I can't move my head fast or turn my body around 360 degrees fast or else i would fall.
Actually, today is one of the rare days that i'm 90% okay. I only have slight dizziness and my ears dont feel full. I can hear normally but the tinnitus is constant. But i can tolerate this condition. I pray for more days like this.
I'm hopeful that diet can manage the symptoms. I don't know what to do when the disease attacks again.
I still have an MRI and Audiogram scheduled tomorrow. I'm praying for good news.
Chris
Three days ago I was diagnosed by the ENT with Meniere's. I have been dealing with on/off vertigo and ear fullness for a month before i was diagnosed with MD. It has changed my life in many ways.
Only a month ago i am very active, i play 2 basketball leagues, i run regularly and hike every month. I also have a very lively social life. I go out every weekends with my friends we would drink, eat.. just splurge.
And then the ear fullness came. I thought it was just earwax but it wasn't. my GP thought it was infection, but it wasn't. The ear fullness is coupled with buzzing/static sound that is very irritating. And also i would lose low frequency hearing. All i can hear are high pitched sound which are also irritating. They are on/off until now. I have missed my basketball games, i am not able to do running, and i never go out anymore.
Days i am able to go to work, i'll be exhausted by the end of 8 hours. When i reach home all i want to do is get to my bed and lay down. I have to will myself to eat and drink water. The dizzinesss is exhausting. I can't eat the regular food i used to eat. I have limited my sodium intake to less than 1500mg per day. I have completely removed caffeine and salt. I have not had any beer in a month. My diet includes salad and unmarinated meats. no more soda and coffee. and chocolates. no more chips too.
I have developed anxiety when i learned the disease has no known cure. Every attack of the disease i would be reduced to tears. I would cry by myself or sometimes i would call a friend and cry on the phone. I have problem sleeping too because of this. I would fall asleep but after an hour or two i would wake up all sweaty. And putting myself back to sleep is almost impossible after that. And all i can do is follow this low sodium/caffeine diet. Which puts me in this diseases mercy... whether it would cooperate or not.
My friends and family are supportive of me, always give me encouraging words but i still feel that they don't understand what i am going through. I know MD is not life threatening but it's incapacitating. You know you have the arms and legs to walk and do things but the disease just wont allow me to use them. Im always either exhausted or dizzy. I can't move my head fast or turn my body around 360 degrees fast or else i would fall.
Actually, today is one of the rare days that i'm 90% okay. I only have slight dizziness and my ears dont feel full. I can hear normally but the tinnitus is constant. But i can tolerate this condition. I pray for more days like this.
I'm hopeful that diet can manage the symptoms. I don't know what to do when the disease attacks again.
I still have an MRI and Audiogram scheduled tomorrow. I'm praying for good news.
Chris
Member
