Menieres's Disease - Can You Hear Me Now?

When someone says that they have Meniere's Disease, people look at them with immediate concern and say , "Oh no." Them they pause for a moment and say, "What is that?" When anyone hears the word disease, they often think that you are seriously ill. This is not the case with Meniere's or as I like to call it the "I am not drunk, just dizzy" disease.

Meniere's Disease is a disease that is caused by problems with your inner ear. It causes you to have episodes of vertigo, hearing loss, dizziness, and balance issues. While these symptoms may not sound severe, to the person with Meniere's they are life altering.

Think about a normal day for yourself. You get up in the morning, shower and get ready for work. You hop in your car and brace yourself for the drive in, cursing the traffic and drinking your coffee. Once at work you have to put up with irritating co-workers and complain about your workload. After work, you again curse the traffic and stop at the grocery store to pick up whatever it is that you are going to cook for dinner. After that you are finally on your way home. Once you arrive at home, you walk into the house only to find the mess that your husband made and pile of cat vomit on the floor. Once you clean that up, you cook dinner and sit down with a nice glass of wine and unwind from your stressful day. The life of a person with Meniere's is nothing like this.

A day in the life of a Meniere's sufferer may go something like this. They wake up, open their eyes and make sure not to move too quickly while they are getting up out of bed. They don't want to fall down when they get up. They move down the hallway, hugging the wall because this actually helps to hold them up. No caffeine for them because it can worsen their condition. They grab a glass of water and look for something bland to eat because anything with too much sodium will make them sick. After they eat, they take their daily pills.

They make their way to the computer because this is their social life. They chat with friends they have made through online forums dedicated to people with dizziness and balance disorders. These online friends are the only people that understand. After they chat a bit, they have to go lay down because looking at the computer too long makes them feel bad.

While laying down the guilt washes over them like a tsunami. They are the reason their husband is looking for a second job. They are the reason their family is in fear of losing their home.

After feeling sorry for themselves, they get up and try to feel normal. Whether this is cleaning the house, cooking, or talking on the phone. There is no driving a car for them without supervision. They become too dizzy and fear that they may hurt themselves or others out on the road.

If they are lucky someone will take them to the grocery store that day or maybe there is a doctor's appointment to go to. These activities actually make them happy because they are able to get out of the house. However, once they are out of the house, the dizziness and brain fog sets in. The "drunk" walk takes over and fear of embarrassment strikes.

Family and friends of Meniere's sufferers do not understand the disease. This often causes stress and occassional arguments because loved ones.

Needless to say, people who suffer from Meniere's may not have a grave diagnosis, but they often feel alone, helpless and never feel quite right.

So, the next time you complain about driving into work, think about this article and remember that there are people out there who would love the chance to complain about driving in traffic, complain about their co-workers and have the chance to come home and have a glass of wine.