The key difference between Meniere’s disease and vestibular migraine is that Meniere’s disease is a medical condition mainly characterized by episodic vertigo with tinnitus, ear fullness, and hearing loss, while vestibular migraine is a medical condition mainly characterized by episodic vertigo with migraine or phonophobia.
A sudden onset of unsteadiness or dizziness, pallor, and anxiety generally characterizes episodic vertigo. Vertigo disorders typically result from disruptions in the normal functioning of balance mechanisms within the inner ear or issues occurring in specific regions of the brain. Meniere’s disease and vestibular migraine are two conditions often associated with episodic vertigo. However, these conditions have different aetiologies.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Meniere’s Disease
3. What is Vestibular Migraine
4. Similarities – Meniere’s Disease and Vestibular Migraine
5. Meniere’s Disease vs. Vestibular Migraine in Tabular Form
6. FAQ – Meniere’s Disease and Vestibular Migraine
7. Summary – Meniere’s Disease vs. Vestibular Migraine
What is Meniere’s Disease?
Meniere’s disease is a rare disorder that usually affects the inner ear. This chronic disorder affects the balance and hearing of people. This disorder can occur at any age. However, it normally starts between the ages of 40 to 60. The typical symptoms of this condition may include regular dizzy spells, a spinning feeling that starts and stops suddenly, hearing loss, ringing in the ear, and a feeling of fullness in the ear. Moreover, Meniere’s disease may be caused by the build-up of extra fluid in the inner ear called endolymph due to poor fluid drainage, autoimmune disorders, viral infection, and genetics. The complications involved in this condition are unexpected vertigo attacks and loss of hearing in the long term.
Meniere’s disease can be diagnosed through health history, audiometry, electronystagmogram or videonystagmography (ENG or VNG), rotary-chair testing, computerized dynamic posturography (CDP), video head impulse test (vHIT), and electrocochleography (ECoG). Furthermore, treatment options for Meniere’s disease may include motion sickness medicine (meclizine), anti-nausea medicine (promethazine), diuretics and betahistine, rehabilitation, and hearing aids.
What is Vestibular Migraine?
Vestibular migraine is a neurological disease that causes dizziness and off balance. This condition usually affects young adults and people between the ages of 60 and 70. The typical symptoms of this condition may include severe, throbbing headache normally on one side of the head, nausea and vomiting, sensitivity to light, smell and noise, vertigo (dizziness) lasting from minutes to hours or days, unsteadiness and loss of balance, and sensitivity to motion. Moreover, vestibular migraine can be caused by having a family history of migraines or genetics, stress, fatigue, serotonin imbalance, hormonal changes from menopause or periods, changes in barometric pressure, and certain foods and liquids. The complications associated with vestibular migraine include motion intolerance with respect to head, eyes, or body, spontaneous vertigo attack, photosensitivity, sound sensitivity, balance loss and ataxia muscle spasms in upper cervical spine musculature, confusion with altered cognition, spatial disorientation, and anxiety.
Vestibular migraine can be diagnosed through neurological examination, vediostagmography or electronystagmography, imaging tests like CT scan, MRI, and hearing loss test. Furthermore, treatment options for vestibular migraine may include beta blockers, triptans, antiseizure medications (lamotrigine), calcium channel blockers, CGRP antagonists, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, drinking plenty of water, stress-reducing activities such as meditation and gardening, taking water pills, and avoid eating salty foods.
What are the Similarities Between Meniere’s Disease and Vestibular Migraine?
- Meniere’s disease and vestibular migraine are two conditions often associated with episodic vertigo.
- Both conditions may result in complications.
- They are more common in women.
- Both conditions can be diagnosed through clinical examination and imaging tests.
- They can be treated through specific medications.
What is the Difference Between Meniere’s Disease and Vestibular Migraine?
Meniere’s disease is a medical condition mainly characterized by episodic vertigo with tinnitus, ear fullness, and hearing loss, while vestibular migraine is a medical condition mainly characterized by episodic vertigo with migraine or phonophobia. Thus, this is the key difference between Meniere’s disease and vestibular migraine. Furthermore, Meniere’s disease affects people between the ages of 40 and 60, while vestibular migraine affects young adults and people between the ages of 60 and 70.
The infographic below presents the differences between Meniere’s disease and vestibular migraine in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
FAQ: Meniere’s Disease and Vestibular Migraine
What is another name for vestibular migraines?
Vestibular migraine is also known as migrainous vertigo, migraine-related dizziness, vestibular migraine, or migraine with prominent vertigo.
What is the best way to stop vestibular migraine?
There are several types of treatments for vestibular migraine. They are rest, observation, hydration, and medications such as anti-nausea, antihistamine, or sedatives if needed.
Is vestibular migraine the same as Meniere’s disease?
There may be overlapping symptoms between vestibular migraines and Meniere’s disease. But they occur due to different reasons. Vestibular migraines are a type of migraine that affects the vestibular pathways in the brain. Meniere’s disease is caused by an excess of fluid called endolymph in the inner ear.
Summary – Meniere’s Disease vs. Vestibular Migraine
Meniere’s disease and vestibular migraine are two different types of vertigo disorders. Meniere’s disease is mainly characterized by episodic vertigo with tinnitus, ear fullness, and hearing loss, while vestibular migraine is mainly characterized by episodic vertigo with migraine or phonophobia. So, this summarizes the difference between Meniere’s disease and vestibular migraine.
Reference:
1. “Meniere Disease.” Johns Hopkins Medicine.
2. “Dizzy Spells & Migraines.” Cleveland Clinic.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Blausen 0329 EarAnatomy InternalEar” By Blausen.com staff (2014). “Medical gallery of Blausen Medical 2014”. WikiJournal of Medicine 1 (2). DOI:10.15347/wjm/2014.010. ISSN 2002-4436. – Own work (CC BY 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Woman in Gray Tank Top Showing Distress” (CC0) via Pexels