Meniere's Disease Support Group

The symptoms of Meniere's are variable; not all sufferers experience the same symptoms. However, so-called "classic Meniere's" is considered to comprise the following four symptoms: Periodic episodes of rotary vertigo (the abnormal sensation of movement) or dizziness, fluctuating, progressive, unilateral (in one ear) or bilateral (in both ears) hearing loss, often in the lower frequency ranges, unilateral or bilateral tinnitus (the perception of noises, often ringing, roaring, or whooshing), sometimes variable, and a sensation of fullness or pressure in one or both ears.

Meniere's often begins with one symptom, and gradually progresses. A diagnosis may be made in the absence of all four classic symptoms.

Initial treatment is aimed at both dealing with immediate symptoms and preventing frequency of symptoms, and so will vary from patient to patient. Doctors may recommend training or other methods for dealing with tinnitus, stress reduction, hearing aids to deal with hearing loss, and medication to alleviate nausea and symptoms of vertigo.

Several environmental and dietary changes are thought to reduce the frequency or severity of symptom outbreaks. Most patients are advised to adopt a low-sodium diet, typically one to two grams (1000-2000mg) at first, but diets as low as 400mg are not uncommon. Patients are advised to avoid caffeine, alcohol and tobacco, all of which can aggravate symptoms of Meniere's. Some recommend avoiding Aspartame. Patients are often prescribed a mild diuretic (sometimes vitamin B6). Many patients will have allergy testing done to see if they are candidate for allergy desensitization as allergies have been shown to aggravate Meniere's symptoms.