Menièretauti

Menièretauti, commonly known in English as Ménière's disease, is a chronic disorder of the inner ear characterized by recurrent episodes of vertigo, fluctuating sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus, and a feeling of fullness in the affected ear. Vertigo attacks typically last from 20 minutes to several hours and can be accompanied by nausea, imbalance, and nystagmus during the episode. Between attacks, hearing may improve or worsen, and tinnitus or fullness may persist.

The exact cause is unknown, but the condition is associated with endolymphatic hydrops, an abnormal buildup of fluid in the inner ear. Possible contributing factors include genetic susceptibility, autoimmune or vascular influences, viral infections, allergies, and migrainous mechanisms; in many cases the disease remains idiopathic. The disorder most commonly affects adults in middle life and can be unilateral at onset, sometimes progressing to bilateral involvement over time.

Diagnosis is clinical and supported by audiometric testing. Criteria typically require at least two vertigo episodes lasting 20 minutes or longer, fluctuating low- to mid-frequency hearing loss in one ear, and tinnitus or aural fullness, with other causes excluded. Imaging, particularly MRI, helps rule out other inner-ear or central nervous system disorders.

Management aims to reduce vertigo, preserve hearing, and improve quality of life. Dietary measures such as salt restriction, caffeine avoidance, and stress management are advised. Pharmacologic options include diuretics (for example hydrochlorothiazide), betahistine in some regions, and short-term vestibular suppressants during attacks. Intratympanic steroids can be used for hearing preservation; intratympanic gentamicin may be considered for refractory vertigo. Surgical options (endolymphatic sac decompression, vestibular nerve section, labyrinthectomy) are reserved for severe, intractable cases. The course is variable; many experience decreasing frequency of vertigo over time, but lasting hearing loss in the affected ear may occur.