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Meniere's disease - Making a diagnosis
How do I know my patient has Meniere's disease?
- Meniere's disease produces a classic triad of core symptoms: vertigo, tinnitus, and fluctuating hearing loss, although the symptom of aural fullness is increasingly acknowledged by many as a fourth core symptom. The majority of people also have other symptoms (e.g. anxiety, depression) [Meniere's Society, 2007].
- There is no single diagnostic test for Meniere's disease [Minor et al, 2004].
- A diagnosis of Meniere's disease is based on a combination of patient history, examination, and investigations.
- A firm diagnosis of Meniere's disease requires all three of the following criteria [American Academy of Otolaryngology, 1995]:
- Vertigo — at least two spontaneous episodes lasting at least 20 minutes within a single attack of Meniere's disease.
- Tinnitus and/or perception of aural fullness.
- Hearing loss confirmed by audiometry to be sensorineural in nature.
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