Inner Ear Meniere's Disease /men-ears'/

Meniere's Disease is an inner ear condition that causes severe vertigo, dizziness, progressive hearing loss, ringing in the ears (called tinnitus), and heavy pressure in the ear. The symptoms occur during attacks, which can last minutes, hours, or even days. The attacks are disabling, causing nausea, vomiting, and the inability to control movement due to the intense vertigo.
The exact cause of Meniere's is unknown, but an attack is the generally the result of fluctuating fluid pressure in the inner ear membranes. MRI can be used to help make a diagnosis of Meniere's, by ruling out tumors or stroke. Usage of gadolinium can help visualize the 8th cranial nerve, and if it does not enhance, acoustic neuroma can be ruled out.
I knew an adult reading student who was dyslexic and had Meniere's. He was able to control the Meniere's for the most part by a strict diet (low sodium). Dyslexia is, in part, a problem with auditory processing, so it's interesting that this man was dyslexic and also developed Meniere's. I think MRI is going to be a great tool to understanding abnormalities of the brain and inner ear, and finding more effective treatments.
To understand how disabling this disease is, read this blurb from a young woman with Meniere's. If you want to read more from this patient or others with Meniere's, click here: http://oto2.wustl.edu/men/mn1.htm

Tinnitus - imagine having a headache caused by a fire alarm ringing or a bee buzzing in your ear continually for a long period of time. You can't hear anything but that fire alarm or bee - It drowns everything else out.
Vertigo - Now imagine yourself as really drunk or with the flu at the same time as the fire alarm is going off. Now imagine that with these two things, you'd be dumb enough to get on one of the super roller coasters that does loop-de-loops or the amusement park rides that spin in two different directions at the same time. During one of these vertigo attacks that can last from several minutes to several hours if not days. I can't keep food or water down, I can't walk, and in order to get out of bed to go to the bathroom, I have to crawl like a baby on my hands and knees. The movement makes me so ill, if I'm able to crawl back to bed, I'm covered in sweat from exhaustion. Otherwise, I keep a pillow and a blanket at the bottom of a linen closet in the bathroom so that I can pass out lying across the bathroom floor. I end up sleeping for days after one of these attacks, only getting out of bed to go to the bathroom or to get something to drink, if I think I can keep it down. I have to call my family to see what day it is when I wake up. That is, if I can hear.