ear, nose, and throat disorders
Meniere Disease
Symptoms and Signs of Meniere Disease
Patients with Meniere disease have sudden attacks of Dizziness and Vertigo that usually last for 20 minutes to 12 hours; rarely, the attacks last up to 24 hours. Usually, nausea and vomiting are also present Other symptoms include diaphoresis, diarrhea, and gait unsteadiness. Tinnitus in the affected ear may be constant or intermittent buzzing, ringing, roaring, whistling, or hissing; it is not related to position or motion. Hearing impairment, typically affecting low frequencies, may follow the attacks. Before and during an episode, most patients sense fullness or pressure and hyperacusis (sensitivity to loud sounds) in the affected ear. In most patients, only one ear is affected. During the early stages, symptoms remit between episodes; symptom-free periods may last>1 year. As the disease progresses, however, hearing impairment fluctuates but eventually persists and gradually worsens, and tinnitus may be constant, even between attacks. 