Comments on my life and meniere's disease: Meniere’s disease and heredity

Jeff, it can appear in several members of the same...

2011-12-29T15:59:45.602-08:00

Jeff, it can appear in several members of the same family, but I don't know if doctors have any proof of a genetic link. I've had it for 10 years, and we are only learning now that my 84-year-old mother might have something similar. She's had balance issues for years and went deaf in one ear at a young age, but she's never had the vertigo and nausea. Still, she does seem to have some definite vestibular issues that are only NOW being addressed.

If you have all the symptoms, I would recommend you see an ear-nose-throat doctor and see what they think. I'm sorry you have other health problems... as if one set of problems wasn't enough, right?

Here's wishing all of us a happy and healthier New Year.

Hi David, my biological brother suffered for many ...

2011-12-29T08:23:12.234-08:00

Hi David, my biological brother suffered for many years with Meniere's disease until his unrelated death in 2005. I have suffered with many health inflictions, as have most of my siblings (both of our parents were very unhealthy and I believe they passed most of their bad fortune on to us). I seem to recall his doctor believing that Meniere's disease was passed on within families, but I cannot remember for sure. But I definitely have all the symptoms as he had. I just haven't bothered to be diagnosed with it since I have more than enough health issues on my plate already.

Anonymous, the odds are against getting it in both...

2011-11-10T10:44:32.170-08:00

Anonymous, the odds are against getting it in both ears, although it is possible. I worry about that, too, but keep reminding myself the statistics are in our favor to some degree.

I had a bizarre experience this week that has left me very angry and bruised. My brother-in-law also has Meniere's, or at least he had a couple of drop attacks about 10 years ago. This week, we've been working at my father-in-law's apartment to clear it out (he passed away two days ago), and at one point I was cleaning out the linen closet. I became very dizzy and a little sick, and I went to sit down, not far from my brother-in-law.

He actually looked at me as if I had some nerve to be sitting down, not working, and said, "Can I HELP you?" Very sarcastic.

I was shocked that he of all people should not realize I might actually NEED the break; I was so stunned that all I could do was stare at him, and go back to work, sorting through paperwork. Two days later, it still stings that he could be so unaware and think I was just being lazy. People don't understand it -- even sometimes people who have the same illness. Incredible.

I guess we just have to keep reminding people, although that's the last thing I want to do. I get so tired of talking about it, but people forget and have strange expectations.

I tell people that I have this disease and sometim...

2011-11-09T20:43:17.813-08:00

I tell people that I have this disease and sometimes they laugh. They think I am kidding. Then when they realize I am not, they just kind of act funny about it - almost as if they don't believe me. At work I have to ask people to speak up a lot. At home, I hear the phone ring, but I have no idea where it is. It feels very silly to be looking around for a ringing telephone that is right close to me. Most terrifying moment was in a crowded store and I couldn't find my child because I could not figure out where she was calling me from. I don't know how I got this or where it came from. I get nauseated sometimes for no reason. The doctor told me I could get it in my other ear. I hope that doesn't happen.

If someone had really frequent severe attacks of M...

2011-08-24T08:34:07.124-07:00

If someone had really frequent severe attacks of Meniere's a couple centuries ago, I could see them being put in an asylum, exorcised, or even burned at the stake. It's not such a stretch of the imagination, actually. Erk.

I know my mention of Van Gogh last post was totall...

2011-08-23T18:45:09.986-07:00

I know my mention of Van Gogh last post was totally off topic..sorry, it just popped into my mind.
But check out his painting called "STARRY NIGHT" sometime. I think it shouts Menieres.
Poor guy painted it when he was in the Asylum.

OH. Van Gogh had Meniere's. I never thought of...

2011-08-23T06:33:50.175-07:00

OH. Van Gogh had Meniere's. I never thought of that. Good lord.

I've been thinking through my own family. If we do have Meniere's in my family, it's on my mother's side, and she's the only person I can think of who might be a candidate. She lost most of the hearing on one side at a young age. And she has had severe balance issues for about a decade now, but she's 84.

So, it seems there are some ear problems on her side, but it's not full-blown Meniere's. She's never had real vertigo or nausea. Thank goodness... she has enough health problems!

I find this topic very interesting, and quite prob...

2011-08-22T22:56:11.681-07:00

I find this topic very interesting, and quite probable.
I certainly hope that neither my children nor my Grandson EVER get Menieres.
Especially not at the level that I have it, which they are calling intractible Menieres.
I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy.
That being said:
1. My Mother has occasional bouts of vertigo. It's minus the tinnitus and hearing loss, so would probably be classified as Labrynthitis.
She has had this for years.
2. My Mothers first cousin went through a year of horrible vertigo and tinnitus... She did experience some hearing loss. They treated her for Labrynthitis, and after a year it dissipated.
3. That same Cousin's daughter also experienced intermittent bouts of vertigo. Diagnosis: Labrynthitis.
None of them have full Menieres as I have (just lucky I guess)
There may be distant Family members who have experienced this, and no one heard about it.
It does seem to appear only on my Mothers side though.
Hopefully I am the end of the cycle?
One can pray.
Frankly, I have always felt such sorrow for Vincent Van Gogh. Born in an era where Menieres was least understood. The poor man cut off his own ear trying to escape this disease. Had he but known that that wouldn't work.
At least we have the knowledge of what is happening, even if we don't fully know the why.
And thank God for Valium!

there seems to be evidence of that thanks for the ...

2011-08-22T09:28:03.698-07:00

there seems to be evidence of that
thanks for the comment and stay in touch
David

Hi My mother pasted away aged 63 with bad Meniere&...

2011-08-20T22:07:21.828-07:00

Hi
My mother pasted away aged 63 with bad Meniere's, my brother, sister and I have the same. I was informed years ago by the family doctor it was hereditary.
August 21 2011

Thanks for the clarification. I appreciate it. Dav...

2010-03-16T14:35:54.905-07:00

Thanks for the clarification. I appreciate it.
David

MD is one of those things that from what I underst...

2010-03-15T08:36:17.337-07:00

MD is one of those things that from what I understand is classify as familial, tends to run in families but not classified as hereditary. A geneticist I know said, that just means they haven't found the link. It is hereditary.

Nicki, I have read other websites that say that it...

2010-02-22T19:16:38.880-08:00

Nicki,
I have read other websites that say that it is rare that meniere's is hereditary. so hopefully you wouldn't pass this down to your children.
David

That is surprising about being a diver. I would th...

2010-02-22T19:12:39.858-08:00

That is surprising about being a diver. I would think that the air pressure would be too much to handle. But meniere's affects people differently.
thanks for the comment
David

Interestingly,I just found out my aunt has MD, but...

2010-02-22T11:25:58.013-08:00

Interestingly,I just found out my aunt has MD, but she's not my blood relation, she's my uncle's wife. Apparently most severe prior to having children in her early 20's, then eased off for a while. She has lost most of her hearing in both ears and suffers from balance problems, yet has been an avid diver for many years with my uncle.

my grandmother had bad problems with vertigo. don&...

2010-02-22T08:49:43.283-08:00

my grandmother had bad problems with vertigo. don't know if she was diagnosed with meniere's or something else. also, i have a sister who has been deaf since birth. she has no symptoms at all of meniere's but i find it interesting anyway.

i worry a great deal that it may be hereditary and that i could've passed this monster on to my children.

Hi David, My name is Evan Perrault and I am a Hea...

2010-02-21T12:44:06.364-08:00

Hi David,

My name is Evan Perrault and I am a Health Communication Master’s student at Michigan State University. For one of my projects I am monitoring blogs, and am asking blog masters their opinions about the use of blogs to get their health messages out to the populations. I’ve been monitoring your blog about Meniere's Disease for the past few weeks and was wondering if you would be willing to answer a few questions for me? The more information you can provide the fewer follow-up questions I’ll have to ask.

1. How many years/months have you been operating this blog? And how many years/months have you been blogging in general?
2. Why did you decide to start this blog? What is the principal reason/motivation?
3. Do you feel as though your blog is meeting the need for which you designed it? How do you know? Do you wish it could reach more people? Are you happy with the audience you have?
4. Blogs haven’t been around too long, but do you see the world of social media (like blogs, tweets, youtube…etc) as replacing traditional media (tv news, newspapers, etc)? Why or why not?
5. What do you feel has been the biggest impact of your blog?

Thank you so much for your time. I look forward to your thoughtful responses.

Sincerely,
Evan Perrault
perrau14@msu.edu