Diaphoresis and Meniere's disease

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Neurology
• Internal Medicine

Background:

• Meniere's disease (labyrinthine hydrops) is characterized by episodic vertigo, tinnitus, hearing loss, and aural fullness.
• The glycerin test is an established diagnostic adjunct for endolymphatic hydrops, indicating fluid imbalance in the inner ear.
• The therapeutic effects of diaphoresis on Meniere's disease have not been previously documented.

Observation:

• Two patients with unilateral Meniere's disease underwent two distinct diaphoresis-inducing activities: strenuous exercise with sauna visits and passive sauna use.
• Both activities led to transient improvements in audiological measures, including pure-tone threshold, speech-reception threshold, and speech discrimination.
• Concurrent symptom reduction was noted, specifically a decrease in tinnitus and aural fullness.

Findings:

• Diaphoresis, induced by both exercise and passive heat exposure, resulted in substantial, albeit temporary, improvements in Meniere's disease symptoms.
• The observed benefits in hearing and symptom reduction are comparable to those seen with glycerin, an osmotic diuretic.
• These findings suggest a potential role for inducing sweating in managing Meniere's disease, particularly during fluctuant hearing stages.

Implications:

• Diaphoresis may represent a novel, non-invasive therapeutic or adjunctive strategy for managing Meniere's disease.
• Further research is warranted to elucidate the physiological mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of diaphoresis in labyrinthine hydrops.
• These results could inform future clinical practice guidelines for Meniere's disease management, potentially offering an alternative or complementary approach to existing treatments.