Meniere’s disease is a rare disorder of the inner ear. It can cause episodes of extreme dizziness and a feeling of spinning. These episodes can be so severe that the person cannot stand up without falling down. The spinning that comes with Meniere’s disease occurs without warning and can include rapid involuntary eye movement. This limits a person’s ability to work, drive, and participate in physical activities. These episodes come and go and can happen weeks to years apart. Meniere’s affects most people in stages and the symptoms get worse over time.
In the early stage, individuals will have sudden onsets of spinning and occasional hearing loss after these episodes. In its early stage, hearing usually will return once an episode stops. In the middle stage of the disease, symptoms of spinning become less severe but ringing in the ears and loss of hearing increase. In this stage, many people can experience long periods of time with no signs at all. The late stage of Meniere’s includes a progression of hearing loss and ear ringing. In this stage, spinning often subsides but loss of balance becomes a regular occurrence. Learn more about signs of Meniere’s disease below.
1. Vertigo
Vertigo is a feeling of spinning and dizziness. Those suffering from Meniere’s disease experience these episodes without warning. These occurrences are debilitating when they strike. They limit the person’s ability to work and engage in other social activities. The spinning associated with Meniere’s can be so severe that a person needs to lay down on the floor to try to relieve it. During an episode walking and other movement is severely limited. The danger comes when a spinning feeling happens if the person is engaged in an activity when it occurs. If the person is driving when it strikes, car accidents can happen. If the person is operating machinery when an episode comes on, it can be deadly.
These episodes can not only be a hazard when they occur but can cause embarrassment and anxiety if they occur in a public place. The feeling of spinning creates a severe dizzy feeling, imbalance, and vomiting in some individuals. Visual disturbances occur along with a dizzy feeling and can make the world appear to spin. These episodes can last from twenty minutes up to four hours. After the attack has passed, patients feel fatigue and can experience a loss of hearing after an episode. These attacks can be quite severe in the early stages of the disease, but as Meniere’s progresses, the attacks happen less often.
2. Dizziness
Dizziness occurs with Meniere’s disease and can come on without warning. Vertigo can cause a dizzy feeling, but a feeling of being off balance and not quite right often happens without the spinning sensation. This can persist for days after an episode of vertigo in patients. It can cause problems with employment and enjoying other social and physical activities. Sensory disturbances can occur with a dizzy feeling, distorting visual perceptions of the world around them. This results in unsteady balance, resulting in accidents and falls.
3. Ear Ringing
Ringing in the ears, or tinnitus, is a persistent symptom of Meniere’s disease. It sometimes precipitates an attack of disorientation, but in many patients, it is constantly present. Tinnitus may sound like ringing or a buzzing sound deep within the ear. This ringing can be frustrating and limit hearing. Ringing in the ears is a chronic and progressive symptom of Meniere’s disease. While intermittent in the early stages of the disease, it typically gets worse as time progresses and will result in a loss of hearing.
4. Hearing Loss
Hearing loss occurs over time in patients with Meniere’s disease. It can be intermittent when the disease first presents itself but can become permanent. Some individuals experience a complete loss of hearing, while others experience loss of certain frequencies. A loss of hearing is most common with the lower frequencies of hearing. Loud sounds may cause discomfort. These sounds can also be distorted in affected individuals. Hearing loss is a particularly disturbing prospect for patients. Loss of hearing affects a person’s ability to perform their job or socialize.
5. Imbalance
Imbalance occurs in sufferers of Meniere’s disease due to a combination of factors. Vertigo and dizzy feelings cause instability in movement because the patient cannot adjust their equilibrium during attacks. The world appears to move visually for patients, making it difficult to perform daily tasks and even walk. This imbalance can cause injuries from slips and falls. Common activities like driving and exercise can pose a real risk for patients who cannot find their balance. The risk of injury due to accidents can limit social interaction and cause a loss of financial status due to missed days from work. Unsteady balance is a regular occurrence in the late stages of the disease. It can be an especially prominent symptom in dark environments because other bearings are not present.
6. Motion Sickness
Patients suffering from Meniere’s disease often experience intense motion sickness. This can occur while driving or while a passenger in the car. This symptom causes nausea and vomiting in individuals. Any activity involving movement can bring on motion sickness. This can limit travel for sufferers resulting in social isolation. This can be an embarrassing problem, particularly if it results in vomiting. Motion sickness may be persistent any time a patient gets into a car, or it can present itself intermittently. The inconsistent nature of motion sickness can make planning social engagements and work difficult. It can result in loss of freedom when sufferers cannot tolerate driving.
7. Nausea
Nausea and vomiting occur alongside other symptoms of Meniere’s disease. Episodes of nausea often occur with the dizzy feeling that happens with Meniere’s. These occurrences can result in vomiting, sometimes with little warning. Persistent nausea can be debilitating for patients and limit their ability to work and participate in other social activities.
8. Rapid Involuntary Eye Movement
When episodes of spinning and dizzy feelings occur, an individual’s eyes may move rapidly around. This is involuntary and occurs because the patient’s equilibrium is so severely affected that world appears to move in front of them. The patient’s eyes try to focus on the world but are unable to because of the spinning visual disturbances that occur.
