INFORMATION FOR WOMEN WHO HAVE MÉNIÈRE'S DISEASE DURING PREGNANCY OR BREASTFEEDING

What is Ménière's disease?

Ménière's disease is a disorder of balance and hearing that results from an excess of fluid called endolymph within a compartment called the membranous labyrinth located in the inner ear. Normally, the endolymph helps you to sense the direction of rotation of your head, but the process is thrown out of whack when the volume of endolymph gets too high. The main symptoms of Ménière's disease are hearing loss, ringing in the ear, and vertigo. The latter is a feeling that you are spinning or sliding, or that the environment around you is rotating, which in fact you are stationary. This can lead to severe motion sickness with nausea and vomiting, which can easily be confused with the nausea and vomiting of pregnancy that is common particularly during the first trimester. You may also have a sense of fullness in your ear similar to how you may feel just after leaving a swimming pool, if water has gotten jammed into your ear canal (which is part of the external ear). Usually, Ménière's disease strikes in just one ear, but it’s quite possible to have the condition on both sides.