Signs & Symptoms of Meniere's Disease - Vertigo (or Vertigo Disease)

Vertigo, or vertigo disease, is an abnormal sensation that causes you to feel as though you or your environment is moving or spinning. This is an actual sensation of movement and is different than dizziness.

Vertigo, often the most debilitating symptom of Meniere's disease, forces the sufferer to lie down or if they can't get to a bed in time, crawl along the floor, even up the stairs. Sometimes the attack is so powerful, that the person falls to the ground "as a bag of sand". These attacks can lead to severe nausea, vomiting, and sweating. It is very important to remember that all of these symptoms are unpredictable. That leads to the person living the life of a recluse because they can never plan on a "good day".

Typically, the attack is characterized by a combination of vertigo, tinnitus, and hearing loss lasting several hours. But because we are all different, people experience these discomforts of varying intensity or duration. Others may experience sudden attacks that can last for hours and are totally unable to move. Some may only have a slight vertigo or temporarily loss of balance a few times a year. Still others feel unsteady all day long for long periods. The immediate outcome of one of these episodes is total exhaustion and the need to sleep for hours.

Vertigo of any type occurs when there is a problem in the vestibular labyrinth (semicircular canals), the portion of the inner ear that controls balance. This causes the loss of balance. It is this sudden loss of balance, which often forces the person to fall to the ground.

Many injuries occur because the people have no warning to protect themselves or break their fall. They are often seen as staggering. If someone is driving, their head might be suddenly flung to the side or shaken, ending up with the person being completely disorientated.

To the sufferer this is a very difficult condition to deal with. They can be totally debilitated for varying lengths of time. But what is even worse is they can't plan ahead. They will have no idea when an attack might occur. It could be in the grocery store with it's bright lights and long aisles. Or it could be on the road with the scenery rushing by. It's so unpredictable and the results are so devastating!

For the family members, this is also a very hard condition. It's most difficult to understand why this person can't go somewhere with them. They LOOK all right. So again everyone feels defensive and unwanted. It requires a lot of patience and understanding to cope with vertigo or vertigo disease.