Meniere's disease

Overview

Attacks last 20 minutes to several hours and come with spinning, ear fullness, ringing, and muffled hearing.

Over years, hearing in the affected ear can worsen.

Symptoms

Common signs:

• Spinning attacks with ear ringing
• Spinning attacks with ear fullness, ringing, or hearing loss
• Room-spinning sensation

Less common

• Hearing loss
• Nausea and vomiting during attacks

When to get medical care

Causes

Inner ear fluid.

Does it spread or run in families?

• It isn't contagious. You can't catch it from someone else.

Who is more likely to get it

• Adults 40 to 60: Most common
• People with migraine: Higher risk

Possible complications

• Hearing loss: Can get worse over time
• Falls and fall risk: From sudden vertigo

Diagnosis

Hearing tests.

Treatment

Manage.

Self-care

• Low-salt diet
• Limit caffeine
• Sit or lie down at the start of an attack
• Limit salt to about 1,500 to 2,000 mg a day
• Limit alcohol

Prevention

To lower your risk or prevent problems:

• Low salt diet

Which doctor treats this

• Start with your primary care provider (family doctor or internist).
• They may send you to an ENT doctor (ear, nose, and throat doctor).

Children, pregnancy, and older adults

• Adults 40 to 60: Most common.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

• If you're pregnant or planning to be, tell your prenatal provider about this condition.
• Don't start or stop any medicine on your own. Some are safe in pregnancy and some need to be changed.
• Ask before taking any pain reliever. The FDA advises avoiding ibuprofen and naproxen after 20 weeks unless your doctor says to.
• Breastfeeding: Most medicines are fine, but ask. The NIH LactMed database lists what's known about each one.

Outlook

Manageable.

Attacks often become less frequent.

Getting ready for your visit

Bring a list of your symptoms and medicines.

What to bring

• A list of your medicines and supplements
• Notes on when symptoms started and what makes them better or worse

Questions to ask

• Would water pills help?

Research studies

Research studies test new ways to find and treat health problems. Some are looking for volunteers. Talk with your doctor before joining one.

Search ClinicalTrials.gov for studies on Meniere's disease