Manifestations of vertigo described in pregnancy

Pregnancy can bring about the onset of or exacerbate audiovestibular disorders, including vertigo, according to a review published online Oct. 1 in Cureus.

Noting that vertigo is one of the most common symptoms pregnant women report to their primary care doctors, Vaishnavi Toshniwal, from the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College in Belagavi, India, and colleagues reviewed the pathology and clinical manifestations of vertigo during pregnancy.

The authors noted that hormonal alterations in the peripheral tissues and inner ear organs may contribute to vertigo in pregnant women. Pregnancy can exacerbate Meniere disease, mild convulsive positional dizziness, and oculomotor migraines; benign paroxysmal positional vertigo can also be worsened during pregnancy.

Specific modifications to proprioception and hearing are also detected during physical examination between the second and third trimesters of pregnancy; symptoms are typically experienced throughout this time by pregnant patients.

"Vertigo is a common symptom in pregnant individuals, and different varieties of this symptom might signify various vestibular illnesses like Meniere's disease, vestibular migraine, and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo," the authors write. "From the start of pregnancy till childbirth, vascular and hormonal alterations are part of the etiology of vertigo. More clinical research is required to comprehend how vertigo impacts each trimester and how it could impact fetal development."