About
Meniere’s disease is a condition of unknown cause in which the patient experiences symptoms of vertigo, hearing loss, tinnitus and a feeling of fullness in the ears. Treatment includes medications and rarely surgery.
Meniere’s disease (Meniérè’s disease) is a condition that affects the inner ear, the cause of which is not known. The inner ear is involved in two main functions – hearing and maintenance of balance. It contains two fluids, perilymph and endolymph. Meniere’s disease patients suffer from an abnormal increase in amount of endolymph, resulting in increased inner ear pressure. The patient experiences recurrent episodes of
- Vertigo – A feeling of spinning of self or surroundings in the absence of any movement
- Hearing loss
- Tinnitus – Perception of sounds such as ringing or roaring in the absence of any sound, and
- A feeling of fullness in the ears
Meniere’s disease is named after Prosper Meniérè who first described the condition in 1861. It is diagnosed through clinical examination and audiometry tests. The disease should be differentiated from other causes of vertigo such as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, acute vestibular neuritis, some drugs, multiple sclerosis, migraine, cancers and labyrinthitis.
A number of patients with Meniere’s disease stop experiencing the episodes after some time and do not require further treatment. Among those who continue to experience symptoms, many are controlled on medications alone. Very few patients have severe and persistent disease and may need surgery.
