15 Signs and Symptoms of Meniere’s Disease

The first and most common symptom of Meniere’s disease is dizziness. Since dizziness is a symptom for many different conditions, it makes it difficult for your doctor to initially link the disease. The inner ear controls the body’s balance, and since the disease attacks the inner ear, dizziness is bound to occur.

Feeling sick to your stomach is also extremely common for those with Meniere’s disease. When attacks of the condition flare up, symptoms of vertigo arise and typically coincide with nausea.

Hearing loss is one of the scariest symptoms of the disease. On the bright side, typically the hearing loss is temporary and only in one ear. According to some patients, sound can seem distorted or fuzzy when experiencing hearing loss.

Some people with Meniere’s disease experience ringing in the ear. Although this symptom is not painful, if you’ve ever had to deal with ringing in the ear you know how uncomfortable and distracting it can be.

Experiencing uncontrolled eye movements is also a sign of Meniere’s disease. This symptom varies by patient, but many people have reported “jerky” eye movements in one or in both eyes.

Those dealing with diarrhea are most likely experiencing vertigo during the same episode. Diarrhea can continue to occur after the flare up takes place. It’s very important to stay hydrated when displaying signs of this disease.

During a flare up, people who experience dizziness and nausea could also develop cold sweats. Colds sweats go hand-in-hand with vertigo in the case of Meniere’s disease. Vertigo medication could reduce or even eliminate this symptom.

People with Meniere’s disease are more susceptible to fatigue. Many people believe that fatigue may be the actual cause of flare ups. Individuals with the disease should adjust their lifestyle to reduce the risk of becoming too tired.

A sign of Meniere’s disease might be extreme mood changes. According to the Mayo Clinic, people with the disease may experience a various of emotions, ranging from anger and irritability to anxiety and fear.

Migraines can be caused by a number of things, so it’s a symptom that can easily be overlooked. Those with Meniere’s disease are likely to experience migraines during flare ups.

Some people with Meniere’s disease are very sensitive to sound. 

High-frequency sounds can actually almost be painful to them. Sensitivity to sound is a common symptom of this disease and should be considered a warning sign if Meniere’s has not yet been diagnosed. 

When experiencing an attack induced by the disease, you may notice a feeling of imbalance. 

Everything may feel tilted. Loss of balance will make it difficult to walk or even stand. Sit or lie down and take deep, slow breaths until the episode is over. 

Before or during a vertigo attack induced by Meniere’s disease, you may experience an irregular heartbeat. 

This symptom typically only occurs in the advanced stages of the disease. Once the attack subsides, your heartbeat will return to normal. 

People who have Meniere’s disease often complain of having a sense of fullness in the affected ear. 

Congestion in the ear is common and it happens due to the changes in pressure of the fluid in the inner ear. This symptom can occur before, during, or even after an episode of Meniere’s disease. 

Some people experience drop attacks when diagnosed with Meniere’s disease. Drop attacks are extremely fast falls that happen without passing out.

Drop attacks happen at very advanced stages of the disease. Fortunately, fewer than 10 percent of patients with Meniere’s disease will experience this symptom.