Meniere’s Disease
In 1861, the French physician Prosper Ménière described a condition which now bears his name.
Meniere’s Disease is one of many types of vestibular disorders. There is no known cause for Meniere’s Disease. It is believed that there is an increase in fluid pressure in the inner ear. Some researchers attribute it to viral infections of the inner ear, head injuries, a hereditary predisposition or allergies.
Its symptoms include a feeling of fullness in the ear (especially just before an attack), ringing in the ears (tenitis), fluctuating hearing loss, dizziness, vertigo (spinning sensation), nausea, abdominal pains and exhaustion after an attack. A person who has Meniere’s Disease may also have a sudden sensation of falling or losing balance when in fact they are not and their compensation actually causes them to fall. These are called “drop attacks”.
It can come in a cluster or occur once every so often (even months or years in between attacks).
For more information or a support group, visit:
American Hearing Research Foundation
Natural Remedies and general info
Vestibular Disorder Association
Updated September, 2009 by Cassy Polen, Disability Program Navigator.