Vertigo and Meniere's Disease: Living With Dizzy Spells

Author: Mark Parsec
Published: 7 Jul 2009 - Updated: 4 Oct 2026
Publication Type: Submitted Article

Table of Contents:
Synopsis - Definition - Overview - FAQs - Insights, Updates - Related Content

Synopsis

This information is a first-person account from a man who has lived with Meniere's disease for roughly fourteen years, describing what a vertigo attack actually feels like from the inside rather than how a textbook presents it. It explains vertigo as a false perception of spinning motion caused by dysfunction of the vestibular system, outlines the objective, subjective and pseudovertigo types, and notes that Meniere's is usually accompanied by tinnitus and hearing loss. The author details sudden falls, a sensation of falling that can continue for two or three hours, an altered sense of time, and the nausea, fatigue, headaches and confusion that follow. Its value lies in lived experience - people newly diagnosed, family members, caregivers, seniors at risk of falls and anyone with a vestibular or balance disability will recognize the practical realities described here, including giving up driving and slowing the pace of daily life.*

At a Glance

• 1 - During an episode the author always falls to the left, while the world appears to spin clockwise.
• 2 - Diagnosis took years, with doctors first suspecting migraines, strokes and tumors before settling on Meniere's disease.
• 3 - Strong emotions such as anger, sadness or excitement can set off an attack, as can loud or traveling sounds like horns, hammers, echoes and passing cars.
• 4 - Some attacks are preceded by a wave-like tickling sensation similar to a carnival ride. Trying to resist an attack takes great effort and often prolongs it and worsens the nausea.

Topic Definition

Meniere's Disease

Meniere's disease is a chronic disorder of the inner ear that causes repeated episodes of vertigo, fluctuating hearing loss, tinnitus, and a feeling of fullness or pressure in the affected ear. It is thought to result from an abnormal buildup of fluid, called endolymph, in the labyrinth of the inner ear, which disrupts the balance and hearing signals sent to the brain. Attacks come on with little or no warning and are often followed by nausea, vomiting and exhaustion. The condition usually begins in one ear, most often in adulthood, and over time can lead to permanent hearing loss and ongoing balance problems. There is no cure, but diet changes, medication and certain procedures can reduce the frequency and severity of attacks for many people.

Overview

The world has been spinning out of control now for about fourteen years! I mean that both literally and metaphorically. For it was then that I was diagnosed with a strange disease that I had never even heard of previously. Meniere's Disease or Meniere's Syndrome causes vertigo. You know... that strange sensation that people have when they drink too much and they get the "spins".

Vertigo is a subtype of dizziness in which a patient inappropriately experiences the perception of motion (usually a spinning motion) due to dysfunction of the vestibular system. It is often associated with nausea and vomiting as well as a balance disorder, causing difficulties with standing or walking.

Vertigo has been described in three ways:

• The first is known as objective and describes when the patient has the sensation that objects in the environment are moving.
• The second type of vertigo is known as subjective and refers to when the patient feels as if they are moving.
• The third type is known as pseudovertigo, an intensive sensation of rotation inside the patient's head.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is one of the most common causes of vertigo - the sudden sensation that you're spinning or that the inside of your head is spinning.

When I experience a vertigo episode I always fall to the left. The world spins clockwise. Sometimes the vertigo comes on gradually giving me time to take precautions. Yet, usually, the vertigo comes on suddenly, unexpectedly, violently.

When I experience a violent vertigo attack I usually fall hard upon the ground, sometimes feeling almost as if I have been thrown down.

Because the world appears to be spinning, I close my eyes to help counteract the optical illusion. I become separated from my body, in a sense, which is responding to false signals of centrifugal force which creates the sensation of falling. The kind of sensation you feel when you "fall" in your sleep. The sensation of falling, however, does not end when my body hits the ground. The falling sensation may last for as long as two or three hours. Nausea, vomiting, fatigue, headaches, confusion and weakness generally follow.

During these attacks my perception of time is altered. I can respond to questions and carry on a conversation, but the words do not seem to be coming out of my mouth, they seem to be traveling through a long tunnel. Sounds and lights seem far away.

I have seen some changes in the way I think about my disease.

When the disease first set on I was terrified.

I did not know what was happening to my body. Many times I thought that I was dying. It took years for the doctors to figure out exactly what the problem was. Diagnosing Meniere's means ruling out other possible causes for vertigo. The doctors suspected everything from migraines, to strokes and tumors. Wonderful ideas for me to ponder! Yes, I was scared, immobilized, disabled. And nothing that the doctors did was able to relieve my condition.

As time goes on I am becoming more and more familiar with my disease.

Much like a person who becomes familiar with a broken appliance. One day, many years ago, I was feeling rather energetic. I wanted to go dancing. I hadn't been dancing in a long time and some friends had given me an invitation to go to an alcohol free dance in the next town over. Only, one problem, the doctors had already taken my driver's license away. But, I was feeling pretty good. I hadn't had a vertigo attack in a few days. And I know I shouldn't have... but away I went, driving in my friend's Lincoln Continental.

I didn't make it three miles down the road before I was suddenly struck by a vertigo attack. There I was, driving someone else's car, doing about fifty miles per hour and BOOM... everything started spinning. Man, was I ever scared!. Somehow I managed to pull the car off to the side of the road... the left hand side of the road that is. I parked and rested for nearly an hour before I felt confident enough to slowly drive the vehicle back home.

I don't drive any more. I have had vertigo attacks while I was showering, dressing, cooking, eating, sitting, walking, shopping, watching TV, swimming, typing, climbing stairs, crossing streets, riding as a passenger in a vehicle, reading, lying down, and even when engaged in sex.

I have learned that some things can set off a vertigo attack. Like being angry, sad, or overly excited. Loud noises also seem to cause these disturbances. As well as the sound of hammers, horns, yelling, multiple voices talking in a closed room and cars driving past. But, even small noises sometimes disturb me, if it is of something that is traveling. Echoes bother me.

How Can I Describe the Onset of an Attack?

In a way the vertigo attack strikes suddenly, like a sneeze, which cannot be restrained. And just as a sneeze is often preceded by a tickling sensation, so also some vertigo episodes are preceded by a sensation. This sensation is difficult to describe. Just as the tickle before a sneeze is not always the same. But the sensation of the onset of vertigo causes a tickling sensation akin to that which one might experience on a carnival ride. It is a sensation which sweeps over my entire body in waves, and is, to some extent, euphoric.

To Resist the Vertigo Sensation is Hopeless

For to do so requires a tremendous amount of strength and concentration, which often results in prolonging the attack and increasing nausea. The sensation of resistance is similar to that which one may expect to feel when they are in a centrifuge, fighting against artificial gravity, every movement is strained.

So, I don't go out much any more. I have slowed down a lot. I am learning to maintain a certain level of relaxation. I walk slower, I take rests frequently. I do not allow myself to get upset or excited. If you think you know somebody that has Meniere's Disease encourage them to seek professional medical advice. Some medications and procedures are available. However, many of these just don't help. Meniere's is generally accompanied by tinnitus (persistent ringing in the ear) and hearing loss. You must remember Meniere's is not just a matter of feeling dizzy. Vertigo is a very distinct sensation, which unfortunately is defined as a "hallucination" because the world is not really spinning around, although every fabric of your being is trying to convince you that it is.

What Causes Meniere's Disease?

The exact cause is still not known, although such things as allergies, infection and injury may play a decisive role in the onset of the disease.

It is generally accepted that the vertigo results from faulty nerve signals sent from your ears, where your balance is regulated by your body.

If the signal from one ear does not match the signal in the other ear... the brain registers TILT, and you experience vertigo.

Also see our list of Famous People with Meniere's Disease

Frequently Asked Questions

NOTE: Researched FAQs by Disabled World (DW)

What tests are used to diagnose Meniere's disease?

Doctors typically use a hearing test called audiometry to document hearing loss in the affected ear, along with balance tests that measure inner ear function. An MRI scan may also be ordered to rule out other causes of vertigo such as a tumor on the hearing nerve.

Is there a cure for Meniere's disease?

There is currently no cure for Meniere's disease. Treatment focuses on reducing how often attacks occur, easing symptoms during an attack, and protecting remaining hearing and balance function.

What treatments are available for Meniere's disease?

Common treatments include a reduced-salt diet, diuretics, and medications that ease vertigo and nausea during an attack. When these are not enough, options include steroid or gentamicin injections into the middle ear and, in severe cases, surgery.

Does a low-salt diet help Meniere's disease?

Many doctors recommend limiting sodium because it may help reduce fluid buildup in the inner ear. The research evidence is limited, but some people report fewer or milder attacks when they lower their salt intake.

What is the difference between BPPV and Meniere's disease?

BPPV causes brief spinning spells that usually last less than a minute and are triggered by changes in head position, without hearing loss. Meniere's disease causes longer attacks, generally lasting from 20 minutes to several hours, together with hearing loss, tinnitus and ear fullness.

Does Meniere's disease affect one ear or both?

Meniere's disease usually starts in one ear. Some people develop symptoms in the second ear over time, which can make hearing and balance problems more difficult to manage.

What are drop attacks in Meniere's disease?

Drop attacks, also called Tumarkin crises, are sudden falls that happen without warning and without loss of consciousness. People often describe feeling pushed or thrown to the ground, and the falls carry a real risk of injury.

Can Meniere's disease qualify for Social Security disability benefits?

Yes, the Social Security Administration lists Meniere's disease under its disturbance of labyrinthine-vestibular function listing. Applicants generally need medical records showing frequent balance attacks, tinnitus and progressive hearing loss confirmed by vestibular and hearing tests.

Insights, Analysis, and Developments

Editorial Note: What stands out in this account is how unpredictable the condition is - attacks arrived while the author was showering, cooking, reading, swimming and, most alarmingly, driving at fifty miles per hour after his license had already been taken away. Meniere's disease is often dismissed as simple dizziness, yet the experience described here is closer to a recurring loss of control over one's own body, with no warning and no reliable remedy. The cause is still not fully understood, and the mismatch between balance signals from the two ears offers an explanation without offering a fix. For anyone who knows a person with unexplained vertigo, the practical message is plain: take it seriously, encourage a medical evaluation, and understand that staying home and moving slowly is often a safety measure and not a lack of effort.*

* Editorial additions by Ian C. Langtree.