The hearing fluctuates, but over the years generally worsens.
Some patients experience ringing in the ears in the absence of any external sound.
Conventional wisdom is that it is caused by too much fluid in the inner ear. About 80 percent of patients can be treated by simply stopping salt, caffeine and nicotine. But the remainder must seek more treatment. The only side-effect appears to be a period of unsteadiness until the opposite ear stabilizes the balance system. However, the medical knowledge base is dynamic and errors can occur.