Introduction to Meniere's Disease

Incidence of Meniere's Disease

While Meniere's disease is the second most common cause of vertigo in the U.S., it is listed in the National Organization of Rare Diseases (NORD) database as a rare disease. Information regarding the precise incidence and prevalence of Meniere's disease is scarce but some estimates range from 15 to 120 cases per 100,000 people. Some reasons for this wide range of incidence include:

• Inconsistent criteria for diagnosis of Meniere's disease among primary care physicians and within the diagnostic guidelines of the AAO-HNS.
• Misdiagnosis by primary care physicians (e.g. treating dizziness as a virus or labyrinthitis instead of seeing it as part of a broader syndrome).
• By nature, Meniere's disease can be episodic with long periods of remission and may appear in many atypical forms which makes it difficult to recognize.