🧠 Meniere's Disease Endolymphatic Hydrops Simulator

Normal Endolymph Volume and Pressure

Placeholder: healthy inner ear holds steady fluid volume.

• 100%: Endolymph volume (normal reference level)
• Stable: Vestibular signal (no distortion)
• Quiet: Hair cell state (no irritation)
• 0 dB shift: Hearing threshold (baseline audiogram)

Steady-state fluid physiology

Placeholder: production and resorption stay balanced at baseline.

Production Outpaces Reabsorption

Placeholder: endolymphatic sac resorption slows, volume rises.

• Rising: Volume trend (gradual accumulation)
• Endolymphatic sac: Suspected site (resorption bottleneck)
• Subclinical: Symptom onset (not yet noticeable)
• Days–weeks: Timeframe (slow buildup phase)

Fluid homeostasis breakdown

Placeholder: small imbalance compounds gradually toward hydrops.

Membranous Labyrinth Distends Under Pressure

Placeholder: excess endolymph stretches the membranous walls.

• Progressive: Wall distension (radial ballooning)
• Elevated: Pressure state (above normal range)
• 3 targets: Structures stressed (vestibule + cochlea)
• Partial: Reversibility (early hydrops stage)

Mechanical wall stress

Placeholder: rising pressure bulges membrane against neighboring structures.

Three Structures, Three Symptoms, One Pressure Source

Placeholder: single distension drives three separate symptom paths.

• Utricle / canals: Vertigo source (balance signal distortion)
• Cochlear hair cells: Tinnitus source (irritated mechanotransduction)
• Cochlear duct: Hearing loss source (transduction distortion)
• Endolymph pressure: Shared cause (single upstream driver)

Branching symptom pathways

Placeholder: one mechanical event, three independent sensory disruptions.

Pressure Peak, Rupture, and Symptom Release

Placeholder: peak pressure ruptures membrane, symptoms briefly ease.

• Reissner's membrane: Rupture theory (proposed release valve)
• Episodic: Attack pattern (build, peak, release)
• Transient relief: Post-release state (pressure re-equalizes)
• Variable: Recurrence (cycle repeats over time)

Rupture-release cycle

Placeholder: sudden pressure release explains episodic symptom pattern.

Placeholder: rupture theory links pressure peaks to attack timing.