Understanding Meniere's Disease: Symptoms, Diagnosis & Assessment

Meniere's disease is an inner ear disorder that causes unusual sensory perceptions. Changes in the volume or composition of a person's inner ear fluid may cause this disorder. Meniere's disease is diagnosed from symptoms, tests and a medical examination.

Vertigo

• According to the Mayo Clinic, vertigo is a spinning sensation that causes a loss of balance and is a sign of Meniere's disease when two spontaneous occurrences of vertigo last for 20 minutes or longer.

Hearing Loss

• Patients with Meniere's disease experience hearing loss that is confirmed by a medical test of hearing.

Tinnitus

• Tinnitus or ringing in the ears commonly occurs with Meniere's disease patients and may cause a roaring, buzzing or hissing sound in the ear.

Aural Fullness

• An aural fullness or felling of fullness and pressure in the ear frequently occurs in patients with Meniere's disease.

Tests

• A patient's balance may be assessed with rotary chair testing that measures inner ear function and other balance assessments. Magnetic resonance imaging tests and computerized tomography scans may be performed to get a detailed image of the inner ear area and rule out other medical conditions.