Meniere’s disease got its name after the French physician Prosper Meniere. It is a condition connected with the inner ear and the fluid balancing regulating system in it. This illness represents a following combination of conditions: episodic vertigo, tinnitus, aural pressure and temporary hearing loss. It usually starts with the increase of pressure in one ear building up to tinnitus and leads frequently to hearing loss. Vertigo is usually unexpected and gives no notice; it is able to last few hours but can make a patient suffer for several days as well. Generally, improvement in hearing comes after the vertigo attack recedes.

Meniere’s disease symptoms:

• vertigo (sensation of whirling – the major symptom; frequently evokes vomiting, severe nausea and sweating);
• tinnitus (ringing in the ear);
• a loss of hearing;
• a feeling of pressure in the affected ear.

Several steps are necessary in order to diagnose the condition. If you suffer from above mentioned symptoms apply for your physician for help. Your healthcare provider will make you undergo a check-up and will be interested in some other aspects of your health. Therefore tell him if you have a history of mumps, syphilis, an autoimmune disorder, inflammation of the eyes, allergy or have had ear surgery recently, if you suffer from diabetes, hypertension, high blood cholesterol and thyroid; it is equally important to make your doctor aware of any neurologic or emotional disorders you have. In order to create a full picture of your illness the information about your condition is needed, which means how long you suffer from it and how often, also how hard the attacks are.

There are also other tests aimed to diagnose the condition, for example, electronystagmograph (ENG). It is intended for the testing of your balance. Also tests for hearing and some other tests are carried out. They include computer tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), electrocochleography (ECoG), and auditory brain response (ABR).

Unfortunately, the condition has no cure so far. But nevertheless there are some preventive measures that can help; changes in a diet and daily allowance are among them. It is also recommended to stop smoking and avoid stress.

Is the condition is severe and makes a person suffer a lot there are other measures such as surgical procedures. Labyrinthectomy is one of them. During this operation the inner ear sense organ is removed; but this kind of surgery is indicated only for patients with hearing loss in the affected ear only. Another type of surgery is vestibular neurectomy. It represents a separation of a certain nerve from the affected ear. This measure is able to help controlling vertigo but also can be fraught with complications such as hearing loss.

The best thing you can do in case of attack is to lay flat on some surface and keep your eyes on something stationary. It is recommended to refrain from eating and drinking and abrupt movements. When the attack reduces try to get up very slowly. This experience is very tiring and your organism will, probably, require some prolonged sleep. Do not hesitate and contact your doctor provided your vertigo does not let go more that 24 hours and is accompanied with constant vomiting.