Symptoms and Signs of What Is Meniere's Disease?

Doctor's Notes on What Is Meniere's Disease?

Meniere’s disease is a syndrome of repeated episodes of hearing problems and feeling as if you are in a room that is spinning. Ringing in the affected ear, feeling like the room is spinning (vertigo), distortion of sounds, fluctuating hearing loss, difficulty understanding another’s words and general weakness and/or cold sweats, nausea and vomiting are signs and symptoms of the disease during an attack. The attacks last from about 1 to a few hours, depending on the severity. Over time, the unpredictable attacks become more frequent and severe and interfere with daily activities; some patients can develop permanent hearing loss.

The cause(s) of the disease are unknown; theories suggest that food allergies, inner ear trauma and/or inheritance may play a role. Triggers of the attacks are also unknown.