Dietary Restriction for The Treatment of Meniere's Disease

Abstract

Meniere's disease (MD) is an idiopathic inner ear disorder characterized by spontaneous recurrent vertigo, fluctuating sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), aural fullness and tinnitus. Endolymphatic hydrops (EH) of the inner ear is currently considered the pathophysiological mechanisms that underlies typical symptoms of MD. MD diagnosis is based on the criteria of the Baràny Society. There are many therapeutic options for MD, but none is considered effective by the scientific community. The first-line treatment commonly includes dietary modification, as low salt diet and reduction of alcohol and caffeine daily intake. Although some studies showed a positive effect of these dietary restrictions, even in the prevention of recurrences, currently there is no uniform consensus on their usefulness. New dietary approach, such SPC-flakes, are being evaluated: further assessments will be needed to validate their use in clinical practice.

Keywords: Meniere disease; hearing loss; tinnitus; vertigo.

Fig. 1. Examples of two labyrinths, one normal and the other with endolymphatic hydrops (EH)

EH is a pathological condition in which there is a distention of endolymphatic space by enlargement of endolymphatic volume. From Nakashima et al [3].