Understanding Meniere's Disease: Causes, Symptoms & Inner Ear Issues

Symptoms of Meniere's syndrome or disease include tinnitus (ringing of the ears), a feeling of fullness or pressure in the ear, hearing loss, and episodes of vertigo that can be severe. It most commonly affects one ear but can be present in both.

Endolymphatic Hydrops

• Most doctors agree that symptoms of Meniere's are caused by excess fluid in the inner ear (endolymphatic hydrops). However, there is a great deal of controversy as to how this fluid dysfunction occurs, and the agents creating this excess fluid are poorly known.

Viral

• Many feel that the disease is caused by a virus in the inner ear, particularly herpes simplex. The virus may embed itself in the vestibular ganglia and create Meniere's symptoms.

Autoimmune Disease

• Other researchers see a strong autoimmune correlation with Meniere's. Autoimmune inner ear disease (AIED) resembles Meniere's with the exception that it most commonly affects both ears.

Trauma

• Some patients exhibit Meniere's symptoms after physical head trauma. However, the connection between acoustic trauma (loud noises) and Meniere's is weak.

Other Causes

• Allergies and stress seem to aggravate the condition, but they are probably not causal factors in the disease.