Vestibular conditioning exercises, such as Cawthorne or Brandt-Daroff exercises, are performed at home and assist recovery. In 1861, Prosper Meniere, a French physician, described the symptom complex that now bears his name. Meniere s Disease is a condition of the inner ear which causes episodes of true vertigo, tinnitus, a feeling of fullness in the ears and a decrease in hearing. Nausea and vomiting may accompany the attacks. The severe vertigo may last from a half hour to twenty-four hours.
Severe attacks leave most people exhausted and they usually sleep for several hours.
They typically may feel a bit off balance for the next several days. During the recuperation period, the hearing gradually returns. There may be some permanent hearing loss especially in the lower frequencies. As the disease progresses, the hearing gradually worsens. After many years the intensity and frequency of the attacks may diminish.