Meniere's disease

Do I have Meniere's disease?

Some doctors use this table as a guide to diagnosing Meniere's disease.

Source:
Alford BR.
Menière's disease: criteria for diagnosis and evaluation of therapy for reporting. Report of subcommittee on equilibrium and its measurement
Transactions - American Academy of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology. 1972;76:1462-1464.

Source:
Pearson BW, Brackmann DE.
Committee on Hearing and Equilibrium Guidelines for reporting treatment results in Meniere's disease.
Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery. 1985; 93: 578-581.

Source:
Committee on Hearing and Equilibrium.
Guidelines for the diagnosis and evaluation of therapy in Meniere's disease.
Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery. 1995; 113: 181-185.

³ It shows what combinations of symptoms suggest that you either definitely, probably or possibly have the disease. But there are also other medical conditions that can cause dizziness or loss of hearing. So your doctor may want to ask you questions or do tests before deciding whether you have Meniere's disease.

Symptom	Definitely have Meniere's	Probably have Meniere's	Possibly have Meniere's	Possibly have Meniere's
Vertigo (dizziness, as if you're spinning or the room is spinning) lasting 20 minutes or more	Twice or more	Once	Yes	No
Hearing loss that comes from a problem in the inner ear (from a hearing test)	Yes	Yes	No	Yes (plus balance problems)
Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) or fullness in one or both ears	Yes	Yes	No	No
No other cause for your symptoms	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Sources for the information on this page:

Alford BR.Menière's disease: criteria for diagnosis and evaluation of therapy for reporting. Report of subcommittee on equilibrium and its measurementTransactions - American Academy of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology. 1972;76:1462-1464.

Pearson BW, Brackmann DE.Committee on Hearing and Equilibrium Guidelines for reporting treatment results in Meniere's disease.Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery. 1985; 93: 578-581.

Committee on Hearing and Equilibrium.Guidelines for the diagnosis and evaluation of therapy in Meniere's disease.Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery. 1995; 113: 181-185.

This information was last updated on Apr 14, 2009

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.

The information on ConsumerReportsHealth.org should not be viewed as a substitute for a consultation with a medical or health professional. The information is meant to enhance communication with your doctor, not replace it. Consumers Union can not be liable for any loss, injury, or other damages related to your use of this information.

Your use of this information is subject to our User Agreement available at www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org.