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Symptoms of Ménière’s disease
Symptoms of Ménière’s disease vary between people. The main symptoms are vertigo (the sensation of spinning when you are standing still), tinnitus (hearing noises or ringing in the ears) and deafness. The disease tends to develop in three stages:
- In the early stages, attacks of vertigo, accompanied by feelings of nausea, occur now and again. You may lose some hearing during the attack (this returns to normal when the attack is over). The ear may also feel blocked up and uncomfortable, with a sense of fullness. Vertigo may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting and dizziness, as well as palpitations and sweating. There is often tinnitus at the same time, which can vary in severity.
- In the middle stage, attacks of vertigo continue, although they may be less severe. Tinnitus and hearing loss often become worse, although they continue to vary depending on how severe the attack of vertigo is.
- As the disease progresses, attacks of vertigo become less frequent, but hearing worsens. Deafness can vary for middle and low tones, and hearing loss may eventually be permanent. When this happens, the vertigo may stop or reduce, but there will still be balance problems, especially in the dark.
There can be long periods of time between attacks (periods of remission) of several months.
The disease can seriously affect quality of life, in terms of employment, driving ability and personal life.
Other symptoms are depression, anxiety, headaches and migraines.
