Symptoms and Diagnosis of Ménière’s Disease

The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) and the Mayo Clinic list four main symptoms of Ménière’s disease:

  • Recurring episodes of vertigo: This is experiencing a spinning sensation that starts and stops spontaneously. Episodes of vertigo occur without warning and can last several minutes to several hours. Some may experience drop attacks, where the vertigo is so severe and sudden that the patient falls to the floor.

  • Hearing loss: Hearing loss in Ménière's disease usually fluctuates but can become permanent.

  • Tinnitus: Hearing a ringing, buzzing, roaring, whistling, or hissing sound.

  • Ear fullness: This is feeling pressure or fullness in the ear, usually in one ear.

Since Ménière's disease can have similar symptoms as other illnesses, your healthcare provider will look into your medical history, hearing and/or balance assessments, and, according to the Mayo Clinic, the presence of the following conditions to diagnose the disease: 

  • Two or more vertigo attacks, each lasting 20 minutes to 12 hours, or up to 24 hours

  • Hearing loss validated by a hearing test

  • Tinnitus or a feeling of fullness or pressure in the ear

These signs can be accompanied by other additional symptoms, according to the Cleveland Clinic: headaches, abdominal pain, and nausea. Individual patients may report a range of other symptoms that could be connected with the experience of Ménière’s disease.

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