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The discovery of two rare cases within the university health awareness program.
King Khalid University, Media Center
Currently, the King Khalid University (KKU) is arranging the fourth health, educational, and awareness program, which is taking place in the province of Majardh. Nose, ear, and throat clinic, which is participating in the program, has managed to discover a rare disease on two patients suffering from the disease. It is known as "Meniere's disease"; a chronic kind of disease that results from a defect in the function of the inner ear.
The Dean of the Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Dr. Khalid Al-Ahmari, who discovered the disease clarified thus, "A patient came to the clinic suffering from dizziness and pain for ten years. After a diagnosis and making necessary lab tests, it became clear that the patient is suffering from a rare disease called Meniere's disease, in one of his eyes." Dr. Al-Ahmari explained that the symptoms of the disease appeared in the form of disorders affecting the inner ear, leading to disruptions in the hearing and the in balance of the body. The disease may affect human at any age of life. Dr. Al-Ahmari further explained that the widespread of the disease was that it may affect one ear but there was a possibility to affect both ears. According to the symptoms of the disease, Dr. Al-Ahmari showed that the patient has a feeling of fullness in the affected ear. Usually, this disease leads to loss of hearing during the years of the injury. "Depending on medical statistics, more than 15% of the people who are aged between 20 to 50 years are infected with the disease. In addition, the disease could affect both sexes without a difference in the statistically registered numbers," Dr. Al-Ahmari stated. He added that the patient was given the appropriate treatment, and was transferred to the nerves clinic operating in the same program, to take appropriate action and to direct to patient to the necessary preventive guidelines.
It is worth mentioning that the symptoms of this disease come in the form of sudden bouts without any prior warning. Symptoms are sharp dizziness, which may last for 20 minutes to several hours at a rate of 2 to 4 hours per shift, in addition to tinnitus, and sometimes a feeling of fullness or pressure in the ear.
The disease is named after a French scientist called Prosper Meniere - an Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist. Dr. Meniere discovered the disease in 1860. Despite being a chronic condition, there are various treatments that can help relieve symptoms and reduce the impact of the Meniere disease on the patient's life in the long term.