Meniere's Disease | Diagnosis & Treatment

Otolaryngologists (ENTs) diagnose Ménière’s disease. During your visit, your provider will perform a physical exam and neurological exam and ask about your symptoms. They may ask if you have regular episodes of vertigo and hearing loss. If you do, they’ll ask about how severe they are and how long they last.

They may do tests to rule out other potential conditions to confirm you have Ménière’s disease, including:

Hearing test: The test will show if you’ve experienced hearing loss. During this test, a hearing specialist called an audiologist plays sounds through headphones. You’ll press a button when you hear a sound.
Vestibular test battery: Audiologists perform a series of tests to check the reflex of your inner ear (vestibular) balance system and eye muscles. Although your balance mostly returns to normal when you’re not experiencing a vertigo attack, there may be leftover effects the tests can detect.
Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with contrast: This imaging test helps to rule out potential brain tumors or other issues that may cause dizziness or hearing loss.

Symptoms

When to see a doctor

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Complications

Blood clots are a dangerous complication of atrial fibrillation (AFib). Blood clots can lead to stroke.

The risk of stroke from AFib increases as you grow older. Other health conditions also may increase the risk of a stroke due to AFib. These conditions include:

High blood pressure.
Diabetes.
Heart failure.
Some types of heart valve disease.

Blood thinners are commonly prescribed to prevent blood clots and strokes in people with atrial fibrillation.

Prevention

Healthy lifestyle choices can reduce the risk of heart disease and may prevent atrial fibrillation (AFib). Here are some basic heart-healthy tips:

Control high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
Don't smoke or use tobacco.
Eat a diet that's low in salt and saturated fat.
Exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week unless your health care team says not to.
Get good sleep. Adults should aim for 7 to 9 hours daily.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Reduce and manage stress.

By Mayo Clinic Staff

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Diagnosis & treatment

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