Feeling a 'fullness' in the ear is also common, as well as hearing loss. Periods between attacks can often be a long as a month or even a year, catching the afflicted by surprise and sometimes leaving you feeling on edge in anticipation of another attack, not knowing when the next one might come.

To aid diagnosis, it can often be helpful to divide the symptoms into three stages. However, it is worth noting that you may not pass through all three stages - mild forms of the disease may stop at stage one, while severe cases may start very suddenly with all the symptoms of stage two or three.