Middle ear pressure therapy aids vertigo symptoms

Middle ear pressure therapy (MEPT) using the EFET01 device effectively controls vertigo symptoms with Meniere disease and delays endolymphatic hydrops (DEH), according to a study published online Nov. 23 in Acta Oto-Laryngologica.

Do Tram Anh, from the University of Toyama in Japan, and colleagues examined the two-year effects of the EFET01 device on reducing vertigo attacks and improving hearing of Meniere disease and DEH patients. The analysis included 32 patients with Meniere disease and two with DEH treated by MEPT with the EFET01 device from December 2018 to April 2021.

The researchers found that compared with six months before treatment, the frequency of vertigo attacks significantly decreased in both Meniere disease and DEH patients. Additionally, hearing level remained stable in the majority of patients 18 to 24 months after treatment.

"In conclusion, we found that MEPT with the EFET01 device showed efficacy in improving the symptoms of vertigo in patients with Meniere disease and DEH, and no severe hearing impairment was observed," the authors write. "Therefore, the EFET01 device could be considered a viable treatment option before attempting any invasive treatment in therapeutic strategies for Meniere disease."