What are the symptoms of Meniere's disease?
Answer:
Meniere's disease has a range of symptoms. It is thought they are brought on by an increase in the volume of the endolymph fluid, which is found in the inner ear. The symptoms include:
- Dizziness
- Nausea, vomiting and occasionally diarrhoea, although these symptoms can get better with time
- A ‘blocked’ feeling in the affected ear
- Hearing loss, which tends to come and go in the early stages of the condition (although repeated attacks can cause permanent hearing loss in some people)
- Tinnitus
- Occasionally, oversensitivity to loud sounds – this is known as hyperacusis
If you have Meniere's disease, you may have bouts of the condition separated by periods when you are not affected by it at all – these periods are known as remission. They may be a few days, or longer than 10 years. Periods of remission vary in each person and over time, which makes Meniere's disease an unpredictable and often distressing illness.