Although many medical treatments have been used and discussed the most accepted treatment involves dietary modification and the use of diuretics. Restricting salt intake decreases the amount of water the body and ultimately the inner ear retains. Other foods such as caffeine and nicotine are stimulants that induce the faulty inner ear to become more active. Diuretics such as Dyazide, Lasix and hydrochlorothiazide activate the kidneys to excrete more salt leading to elimination of some of the salt in the inner ear. Many other medications have been utilized.
Symptomatic treatment can be extremely helpful.
One of these aminoglycosides, gentamicin, has been used to affect the inner ear directly. Surgery of the endolymphatic sac can be very successful in patients who have active fluctuations of hearing. This suggests that the problem in the inner ear is reversible if the pressure problem can be reversed. Incidently, some patients have permanent damage to the inner ear from the pressure problem so that even if the pressure problem is reversed the inner ear will not function normally. This procedure is performed through an incision immediately behind the ear.