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Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (GARD)

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Ménière's disease

*


* Not a rare disease
Other Names for this Disease
  • Meniere disease
  • Meniere's disease
More Names
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Overview


Ménière's disease is an abnormality of the inner ear. Signs and symptoms may include disabling vertigo or severe dizziness lasting from minutes to hours; tinnitus or a roaring sound in the ears; fluctuating hearing loss; and the sensation of pressure or pain in the affected ear. A small percentage people have drop attacks, also called spells of Tumarkin.[1] The disorder usually affects only one ear and is a common cause of hearing loss.[2] Some people develop symptoms in both ears many years after their initial diagnosis.[3] The exact cause of Ménière's disease is unknown, but the symptoms are thought to be associated with a change in fluid volume within a portion of the inner ear known as the labyrinth.[2][4] Treatment may include medications or surgery depending on the severity of the condition.[5]


References

  1. Meyer, Ted A. and Lambert, Paul R.. Rakel & Bope: Conn's Current Therapy 2008, 60th ed.; Chapter 58. Saunders, An Imprint of Elsevier; 2008.
  2. Ménière's Disease . National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD). http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/balance/meniere.asp. Accessed February 9, 2011.
  3. Sajjadi, H and Paparella, M. Meniere's disease. Lancet. August 2, 2008.
  4. Ménière's disease . MedlinePlus. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000702.htm. Accessed February 9, 2011.
  5. Evelyne Ferrary. Meniere disease. Orphanet. http://www.orpha.net/consor/cgi-bin/OC_Exp.php?lng=EN&Expert=45360. Accessed March 12, 2103.
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On this page

General Information

  • The American Academy of Family Physicians has an information page on Meniere's disease.  To access this information page, click on American Academy of Family Physicians.  
  • Genetics Home Reference (GHR) contains information on Ménière's disease. Click on the link to go to GHR and review the information.
  • MedlinePlus, a Web site designed by the National Library of Medicine to help you research your health questions, provides more information about this topic. Click on the link to view this information.
  • Medscape Reference provides information on this topic. Click on the link to view this information. You may need to register to view the medical textbook, but registration is free.
  • The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library provides information on this condition. Click on the link to view the information.
  • The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) conducts and supports biomedical and behavioral research and research training in the normal and disordered processes of hearing, balance, smell, taste, voice, speech, and language. Click on the link to view information on this topic. 
  • The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) is a federation of more than 130 nonprofit voluntary health organizations serving people with rare disorders. Click on the link to view information on this topic.
  • Orphanet is a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs.  Access to this database is free of charge.  Click on the link to read information on this topic.
  • PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Ménière's disease. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.
  • The The Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) database contains genetics resources that discuss Ménière's disease. Click on the link to go to OMIM and review these resources.