Informational only — Not medical advice. Always consult a licensed healthcare provider.

MedBD
বাং
Community data Updated 4 weeks ago

Meniere’s disease

Meniere’s disease

ears-nose-and-throat otic
0 medicines 7 symptoms

Ménière's disease is a rare condition of the inner ear that can throw off your balance and affect your hearing. There's no cure for it, but treatment can usually help keep the symptoms under control.

It most often affects people between the ages of 20 and 60, and it tends to be a little more common in women than in men.

Common Symptoms

or being sick vertigo – the feeling that you, or the environment around you, is moving or spinning tinnitus – hearing sounds from inside your body, rather than from an outside source hearing loss, with a particular difficulty hearing deep or low sounds feeling of pressure or fullness deep inside the ear sensitivity to sound (hyperacusis) distorted sound

⚠️ This symptom list is for educational purposes. Having these symptoms does not mean you have this condition. See a doctor for proper diagnosis.

💊

Medicines Commonly Used

⚠️ These medicines are commonly used for confirmed diagnoses of this condition. This is NOT a recommendation or prescription. Treatment must be determined by your doctor.

No medicines have been linked to this condition yet.

When to See a Doctor

Speak to your GP practice if you or your child have any symptoms that seem like Ménière's disease.

Causes

What causes Ménière's disease?

Doctors don't yet know the exact cause of Ménière's disease. It's thought to happen because of a problem with pressure deep inside the ear.

A few things can raise your chances of developing Ménière's disease:

  • having a family member who has had the condition
  • a chemical imbalance in the fluid inside your inner ear

Diagnosis

There's no single test that confirms Ménière's disease, and it can be hard to tell apart from other conditions with similar symptoms.

Your GP will ask you to describe your symptoms to look for a pattern.

For Ménière's disease to be diagnosed, you'll have had:

  • at least 2 episodes of vertigo lasting 20 minutes or more within a single Ménière's disease attack
  • tests confirming that hearing loss is caused by damage to the sensitive hair cells inside the cochlea (the coiled tube in the inner ear)
  • tinnitus or a feeling of pressure in your ear

Your GP may also do a physical examination to rule out other possible causes of your symptoms.

If needed, your GP can refer you to an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist for further tests.

Treatment

Ménière's disease has no cure, but treatment can usually ease your symptoms.

Possible treatments include:

  • medicines to treat symptoms and prevent attacks
  • changes to your eating habits, such as a low salt diet
  • treatment for tinnitus
  • treatment for hearing loss
  • balance training (vestibular rehabilitation)
  • relaxation techniques
  • surgery, only rarely, in more severe cases

Your mental health

Some people with Ménière's disease find it affects their mental health too. Talk to your GP practice if you are finding it hard to cope with how the condition is affecting your life. Support groups are also there to help.

Safety

If you have vertigo, there are safety issues to think about. For example, tell your employer if your job involves operating machinery or climbing ladders, since vertigo raises your chance of falling. It is worth reading advice on preventing falls to lower this risk.

If you drive, you must tell the DVLA about your vertigo. You can find more information on driving with vertigo on GOV.UK.