What are the symptoms of Ménière's syndrome?
Meniere's syndrome symptoms include vertigo, hearing loss, and tinnitus. A detailed analysis is as follows:
1. Vertigo
Patients typically experience sudden-onset rotational vertigo, perceiving either themselves or surrounding objects as rotating in a specific direction and plane. This is thought to result from microcirculatory disturbances in the inner ear and endolymphatic sac during an episode, leading to tissue ischemia and hypoxia, which causes endolymphatic hydrops.
2. Hearing Loss
In the early stages of the disease, hearing is usually unaffected. However, with repeated episodes, significant hearing loss develops. It is typically unilateral, worsens during attacks, and improves between episodes, showing a clearly fluctuating pattern. This is believed to be caused by inner ear ischemia and hypoxia resulting in insufficient local blood supply.
3. Tinnitus
Tinnitus commonly occurs before the onset of vertigo. In the initial stage, it presents as a continuous low-pitched sound resembling a fan running or flowing water. Over time, it gradually shifts to a high-pitched ringing or whistling sound. This is thought to result from increased inner ear pressure due to disease progression, causing dilation of the cochlea and saccule.
In addition to these common symptoms, patients may also experience aural fullness, nausea, and other symptoms. It is recommended that patients seek timely medical attention when experiencing discomfort to avoid delays in treatment.