Menstruation and its Association with Vertigo in Meniere's Disease: A Prospective Study

Study design: Prospective case control study. Method: This study was conducted in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, S.M.H.S Hospital, an associated hospital of Government Medical College Srinagar, for a period of 22 months w.e.f January 2011 to October 2012. In this prospective study 40 patients presenting with the symptom complex of Meniere's disease were enrolled. Patients were divided into two groups. Group A included 26 female patients of the premenopausal age group and Group B included 14 female patients of the postmenopausal age group. The main outcome measure used was "the average no. of definitive episodes of vertigo per month averaged over a period of 12 months" was computed in two groups and compared. Results: • In Group A the average number of definitive episodes of vertigo averaged over a period of 12 months was 0.272 as against 0.143 in the Group B.(p< 0.05) • Of 23 patients in Group A, 17 patients (70%) reported exacerbation of Meniere's disease symptoms during premenstrual period. • Of 12 patients in Group B, 8 patients had premenopausal onset of Meniere's disease and out of these 8 patients, 5 patients (62.5%) reported improvement of Meniere's disease symptoms after menopause. Conclusion: Hormonal changes occurring during premenstrual period have a definitive impact on the symptomatic profile of Meniere's disease.