By E.J. Mundell
NEW YORK, Sep 29 (Reuters Health) -- Individuals affected by Meniere's disease -- characterized by chronic dizziness, ringing in the ears, and vomiting -- are twice as likely to suffer from allergies as other people, according to researchers. They suggest that allergen-related immune dysfunction may help trigger the symptoms of Meniere's.
"For the majority of patients, allergy immunotherapy or allergy shots -- if they have airborne allergies -- or diet if they have food allergies, is very effective in controlling the vertigo and tinnitus (ringing in the ears)" associated with Meniere's, explained study lead author Dr. Jennifer Derebery of the University of Southern California Medical School, Los Angeles. She presented the findings at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery, held this week in New Orleans.
Meniere's disease is a relatively common inner-ear disorder of unknown origin, characterized by episodes of dizziness, nausea, vomiting, tinnitus, and a progressive hearing loss that can sometimes end in deafness. It is most common in middle-aged and elderly individuals, and affects just as many men as women.
In an interview with Reuters Health, Derebery said that although studies have suggested a link between allergy and Meniere's "there's really been no good data on how often that occurs."
Her team interviewed nearly 1,500 Meniere's patients and "found a much larger percentage of patients than anticipated that were allergic." The researchers found that 42% of Meniere's patients interviewed said they suspected they were allergic, and these allergies were confirmed in 37% in blood and/or skin tests. This rate of allergy is more than double the 14% to 20% found among the general population, Derebery said.
"The anatomy of the inner ear suggests that it can be a target of histamine and other chemicals that are released with an allergic reaction," she explained. Airborne allergens -- such dust, mold and pollen -- were most frequently associated with Meniere's symptoms, with food allergies, especially wheat, a close second.
Derebery pointed out that the bulk of today's most widely prescribed allergy medicines remain ineffective against Meniere's, since they do not act upon the nerves that serve the inner ear. However, "there are some medications that will help," Derebery said, including some older antihistamines that "do cross into the brain and nervous tissue."
She added that avoidance of specific foods may be the best defense against Meniere's in patients with food allergy.
Dietary or drug therapy has proven effective in reducing Meniere's symptoms in allergic patients treated at the House Ear Clinic & Institute, Los Angeles, where Derebery works. She told Reuters Health that hearing loss in these patients tends to "remains quite stable" over time, suggesting that anti-allergy therapy may help prevent the deafness often associated with the illness.
