What Is Ménière’s Disease?
Ménière’s disease is a chronic inner ear disorder affecting balance and hearing.
French doctor Prosper Ménière first identified and described the symptoms of the medical condition that now bears his name in 1861. These symptoms include fluctuating hearing loss, episodic vertigo, a sensation of ear fullness, and tinnitus.
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Many disorders have similar characteristics.
In its 2020 clinical practice guideline, the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) uses this definition:
“Ménière’s disease is a disorder of the inner ear that includes episodes of vertigo with possible hearing loss, ringing or buzzing in the ear, or ear pressure.
“Ménière’s disease is defined by spontaneous vertigo attacks, each lasting 20 minutes to 12 hours, with low- to mid-frequency sensorineural hearing loss in the affected ear before, during, or after one of the episodes of vertigo. The clinical practice guideline defines vertigo as the feeling of spinning or moving when one is not moving. This is different from dizziness, which can mean feeling lightheaded or feeling like passing out.”
These symptoms can vary from patient to patient including, over time, in the patient themselves.
Learn More:
What Is Ménière’s Disease?
Causes
Symptoms and Diagnosis
Treatment
How Balance Works
Our Research on Ménière’s Disease