Vertigo and Tinnitus
Vertigo and tinnitus are two closely related conditions. These conditions can often be difficult for doctors to differentiate when forming a diagnosis of a patient. It can be trying for a doctor to say if a person has either vertigo or tinnitus as they are so similar.
Around half of patients with tinnitus do not display hearing loss; therefore the cause of tinnitus in these patients is often not identified.
Meniere's disease is an inner ear fluid disorder which can cause both vertigo and tinnitus. It can also cause hearing loss and ear fullness. Due to this disease causing both vertigo and tinnitus, a person may be diagnosed with Meniere's disease and have either vertigo, tinnitus or both of these conditions.
However, almost every person who has Meniere's disease will experience severe vertigo and tinnitus. Obviously this is where it can become difficult for a specialist physician to differentiate between the two disorders.
Meniere's disease progresses to the point where up to 95% of hearing can be lost. This is a severe and permanent condition for which research is constantly being undertaken to develop remedies for.
Whilst vertigo and tinnitus are closely related illnesses, people may either suffer from one or both. However if a person is diagnosed with Meniere's disease, it is likely they will end up experiencing both tinnitus and vertigo at some point throughout the life.