Relational quality, illness interference, and partner support in Ménière's disease.

OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to better understand how patients and their significant others (SOs) cope with Menière's disease (MD). DESIGN: The study used a cross-sectional design and the data were collected using questionnaires. STUDY SAMPLE: Seventy-five dyads in which one person had MD. RESULTS: SOs of patients with MD not only experienced activity and participation restrictions but also had positive experiences. In relational quality, the SOs reported uncertainty of their future, limited visits in noisy places, limited activities as walking, watching TV, and participating in social life. The illness interference correlated with the patients' complaints, and most significant was the problem of imbalance. The quality of life was significantly reduced in patients with MD, and the illness interference in terms of quality of life was correlated with the SOs in items related to mood and anxiety. The stress related conditions of the SOs were correlated with two positive items (e.g. alleviating the stress factor). The SOs could also identify one positive item (i.e., improved relationship). CONCLUSIONS: Perceptions of MD as interfering in couples' lives influence dyadic coping in unique ways. The current study identified that dyadic coping has both positive aspects and limitations as a consequence of their partner's MD.

The effects of Ménière's disorder on the patient's significant others.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of their partners' MD on the significant others of the patients. DESIGN: Open-ended questionnaire. STUDY SAMPLE: Significant others of members of the Finnish Ménière's Federation. RESULTS: The predominant responses concerned effects on their lives and lifestyle--participation restrictions (effects on personal and community life)--and on personal contextual factors (uncertainty of life). In contrast they fail to list such effects of the patients, focussing rather on the patients' symptoms. Five percent of the responses given entailed positive experiences. CONCLUSIONS: Significant others of patients with MD listed a wide range of effects of their partner's condition on them. We encourage doctors and therapists to include the significant others in the rehabilitation process to enable them to understand the patient's condition, to help the significant other, and so better support the patients concerned.

The consequences of tinnitus in long-standing Ménière's disease.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the perceived consequences of tinnitus in patients with long-standing Ménière's disease (MD). METHOD: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional investigation of 183 randomly selected members of the Finnish Ménière's Federation. It assessed general health related quality of life (EQ-5D), a participation restriction scale, self-listed consequences and a rating of effects of MD on life. RESULTS: When the effects of the other cardinal symptoms of Ménière's disease were partialled out, the main reported impacts of tinnitus related to anxiety, sleep and depression. It also contributed to some difficult listening situations and to interactions with significant others. Tinnitus explained a significant component of disease-specific quality of life (QoL), but did not relate significantly to the generic measures used. However, the measure 'mood' in the QoL scale was significantly associated with severe tinnitus. CONCLUSION: The most important specific impacts of tinnitus in chronic Ménière's disease relate to broadly psychological factors and mood.