Meniere’s disease, named after Prosper Meniere (1799–1862), who first described it in 1861, is a disorder characterized by recurring attacks of disabling vertigo (a whirling sensation), hearing loss, and tinnitus. It is thought to be caused by an imbalance in the fluid that is normally present in the inner ear. Either an increase in the production of inner ear fluid or a decrease in its reabsorption results in an imbalance of fluid, but why this happens is not known. It most often occurs in middle age and is more common in men than women.