Meniere's disease diagnosis calculator

 

Timothy C. Hain, MD•Most recent update: May 16, 2025

See also: Questionnaires for dizziness.•PPPD calculator•Vestibular migraine (VM) calculator. • MdDS calculator

This calculator attempts to determine whether or not an individual has symptoms that might meet the criteria for Meniere's disease as outlined by Dr. Lopez-Escamez and associates in the 2015 article referenced below. This calculator both asks questions about symptoms and asks for descriptions of hearing tests. You may need the assistance of a health care provider (such as an audiologist) to answer the questions about the hearing test. The criteria on which this page is set up to assess are here: men_criteria

Disclaimer: The content, drawn from the 2015 Meniere's "consensus" paper, does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Dr. Hain.This page is not a substitute for medical care, and by itself, it does not establish a diagnosis. It is not written for or appropriate for use in legal endeavors. Answers are not stored. If you wish to retain this result, please print or save this page.

Calculator

Please check the boxes below, and then click "evaluate".

A. Vertigo

Have you had any unprovoked episodes of vertigo? By unprovoked we mean that they were not triggered by head position or head movement. By vertigo, we mean spinning.

I do not have vertigo spells.
I have had one vertigo spell, lasting 20 minutes to 12 hours.
I have two or more vertigo spells, each lasting 20 minutes to 12 hours.
I have had two or more vertigo spells, lasting 20 minutes to 24 hours.
My vertigo lasted longer than 24 hours.

B1. Hearing loss

Hearing loss type (documented by audiometry) in the affected ear

There is no hearing loss
There is a hearing loss that was never documented with audiometry (hearing testing).
Hearing loss was documented on audiometry on at least one occasion.

B2. Hearing loss

On formal audiometry (hearing test), the affected ear is the ear that has hearing loss of a particular type. The hearing loss must be worse (higher threshold) in the affected ear than the opposite ear by at least 30 dB HL at each of two contiguous frequencies below 2000 Hz. Which of the following was listed on the audiology report ?

Hearing testing was a "low to medium-frequency sensorineural hearing loss "
The hearing loss was for high pitches in one or both ears, but low frequencies were normal
The hearing loss was a middle frequency hearing loss (this is sometimes called a "cookie bite")
The hearing loss was called a "notch", and it was between 3 to 5K.
I had another type of hearing loss than described above

C. Timing of symptoms other than vertigo.

Check symptom(s) and timing in the affected ear if present. (You can check more than one, or check none. )

Tinnitus (ringing or roaring) that gets louder or goes away with an episode of vertigo
Fullness (pressure sensation in ear) that is associated with an episode of vertigo
Hearing loss that gets worse (or better) with an episode of vertigo
Headache that occurs when there is an episode of vertigo

Click to score

Note that according to the 2015 paper referenced below, in addition to meeting the criteria above, which are listed as items A-C in the paper, there is one additional diagnostic criteria, which is determined by your health care provider:

• D. "Not better accounted for by another vestibular diagnosis"

The criteria paper of 2015 provides a table of differential diagnosis for the symptom collection/hearing pattern that qualifies one for Meniere's. This includes 'genetic disorders, autoimmune inner ear disease including Cogan's, stroke or transient ischemic attack, endolymphatic sac tumor, masses in the CP angle, Lyme, otosyphilis, Susac syndrome, various 3rd window syndromes (PLF, canal dehiscence, enlarged vestibular aqueduct), vestibular migraine, vestibular ?paroxysmia, ?vestibular schwannoma, and VKH'. Some of these are extremely rare, but still this means that common disorders such as vestibular disorders including acoustic neuroma, BPPV, SCD, vestibular migraine, vestibular paroxysmia, vestibular neuritis, should not be also present and be a better explanation for symptoms than Meniere's disease. These are usually ruled out by seeing a specialist physician and having inner ear tests done.

If you meet the criteria for "probable" Meniere's, but not "definite Meniere's", we think the "probable" criteria are too loose and perhaps a better descriptive word would be "possible" Meniere's. See our comment on the Meniere's criteria on this page:

We offer consultations regarding Meniere's disease in our clinical practice in Chicago.•Diagnostic and treatment recommendations for Meniere's disease are discussed on this page

References:

• Lopez-Escamez, J. A., et al. (2015). "Diagnostic criteria for Meniere's disease." J Vestib Res 25(1): 1-7.

Version: 5/16/2025