Dizziness, Vertigo & Meniere's Disease
What is dizziness?
Some people describe their balance problem by saying that they feel dizzy, unsteady or giddy. This feeling of imbalance without the sensation of turning or spinning is called disequilibrium and is sometimes due to an inner ear problem.
What is vertigo?
This is a descriptive term, and not a diagnosis. The word vertigo comes from the Latin verb “to turn.” Individuals with vertigo often say that they or their surroundings are turning or spinning. Vertigo is often due to an inner ear problem.
Each year more than 2 million people visit a doctor for dizziness or vertigo.
Each year more than 2 million people visit a doctor for dizziness or vertigo.
What is Meniere’s disease?
Meniere’s disease is a disorder that produces a group of symptoms: sudden attacks of whirling dizziness or vertigo, tinnitus or head noises, a feeling of pressure or fullness in the ear, and a fluctuating hearing loss. Most patients will not have all symptoms. While the underlying cause is not known, it is believed to result from a fluctuation in the pressure of fluid that fills the inner ear. Following a severe attack, most people find that they are so exhausted that they must lie down or sleep for several hours. The attacks vary in frequency from every few weeks to every few years. They vary in duration lasting 30-40 minutes to hours. Some people have “drop attacks”. Most patients are over 35 years old. The disorder affects five out of ten thousand people.