メニエール病9例の治療にハーブティーを用いた使用経験

抄録

The purpose of this study was to confirm the effect of herbal tea therapy on Ménière's disease. We studied nine patients with Ménière's disease who visited the International University of Health and Welfare MITA hospital in 2008. According to criteria of the Japan Society for Equilibrium Research, all the patients were diagnosed as having Ménière's disease or cochlear Ménière's disease and underwent audiometric measurements and questionnaires regarding their functional level and tinnitus symptoms every month. Moreover, we instructed these patients to keep a record of the number of times they experienced vertigo. After 6 months of general treatment, we treated the patients with an herbal tea for one year. To minimize adverse effects, we used a blend of herbal teas. This herbal tea was effective as a diuretic, for alleviating vertigo, and for promoting relaxation. We compared the patients' symptoms before and after the herbal tea therapy. Herbal tea therapy was effective for all the patients, and none of the patients experienced a relapse or adverse effects. Thus, the herbal tea therapy improved their Ménière's symptoms. Our study provides evidence that herbal tea therapy is useful for preventing the worsening of Ménière's disease.