Visually induced dizziness can be a symptom of those diagnosed with Ménière’s disease (Best et al., 2009; Bruderer et al., 2017; Chari et al., 2021; Harcourt et al., 2014; Thomson, 2017). Ménière’s disease is a disorder of the inner ear, which is caused by swelling of the membranous labyrinth (Harcourt et al., 2014). It has an estimated prevalence of 0.0019% in the USA and middle age onset (~40
to-60 years old, (Harris & Alexander, 2010)). Treatment for Ménière’s disease would typically be pharmacological with the potential for vestibular rehabilitation to stimulate peripheral vestibular compensation, and hearing aids used for any hearing loss (Harcourt et al., 2014). Visually induced dizziness often develops as a consequence of acute episodes of Ménière’s disease and following progressive
damage to the labyrinth.
A more recent meta-analysis of vestibular rehabilitation as a treatment for Ménière’s disease was unable to conclude whether there was sufficient evidence of a positive effect of vestibular rehabilitation (van Esch et al., 2017). The inability to conclude a positive effect does not mean there is a negative effect of vestibular rehabilitation, with a more recent review finding improved quality of life in the short term, with a lack of long-term data to draw conclusions from (Rezaeian et al., 2023). Virtual reality based vestibular rehabilitation has had rehabilitative efficacy shown, with lower dizziness handicap inventory scores and lower reported dizziness after rehabilitation (Garcia et al., 2013). Aiming to treat visually induced dizziness for people with other diagnoses may inadvertently include treating people with visually induced dizziness that have Ménière’s Disease. Of the most common of these, there would either be a beneficial effect (vestibular neuritis, vestibular migraine) or potentially positive effect (Ménière’s disease), meaning that a visually induced dizziness focused vestibular rehabilitation approach would be beneficial to all.
Additional Resources
What is Meniere’s disease / syndrome? | Ménière’s Society
Ménière’s Disease – Vestibular Disorders Association
References
Best, C., Eckhardt-Henn, A., Tschan, R., & Dieterich, M. (2009). Psychiatric morbidity and comorbidity in different vestibular vertigo syndromes: Results of a prospective longitudinal study over one year. Journal of Neurology 256(1) (pp 58-65), 2009 Date of Publication: January 2009, 256(1), 58-65. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-009-0038-8
Bruderer, S. G., Bodmer, D., Stohler, N. A., Jick, S. S., & Meier, C. R. (2017). Population-based study on the epidemiology of Ménière’s disease. Audiology and Neurotology, 22(2), 74-82.
Chari, D. A., Liu, Y.-H., Chung, J. J., & Rauch, S. D. (2021). Subjective cognitive symptoms and dizziness handicap inventory (DHI) performance in patients with vestibular migraine and Menière’s disease. Otology & Neurotology, 42(6), 883-889.
Garcia, A. P., Ganança, M. M., Cusin, F. S., Tomaz, A., Ganança, F. F., & Caovilla, H. H. (2013). Vestibular rehabilitation with virtual reality in Ménière’s disease. Brazilian journal of otorhinolaryngology, 79(3), 366-374.
Harcourt, J., Barraclough, K., & Bronstein, A. M. (2014). Meniere’s disease. Bmj, 349.
Harris, J. P., & Alexander, T. H. (2010). Current-day prevalence of Meniere’s syndrome. Audiology and Neurotology, 15(5), 318-322.
Rezaeian, A., Abtahi, H., Moradi, M., & Farajzadegan, Z. (2023). The effect of vestibular rehabilitation in Meniere’s disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials. European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, 280(9), 3967-3975.
Thomson, P. (2017). Ménière’s: why its diagnosis calls for more careful evaluation. British Journal of General Practice, 67(665), 569-570.
van Esch, B. F., van der Scheer-Horst, E. S., van der Zaag-Loonen, H. J., Bruintjes, T. D., & van Benthem, P. P. G. (2017). The effect of vestibular rehabilitation in patients with Ménière’s disease: a systematic review. Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, 156(3), 426-434.