Which virus causes labyrinthitis

Diagnosis of labyrinthitis and vestibular neuritis Your condition can be diagnosed based on your medical history, answers to questions about the initial onset of the symptoms and your current symptoms, a physical examination and possibly the results of tests carried out by an audiologist, including a hearing test. Treatment for labyrinthitis and vestibular neuritis The treatment of labyrinthitis depends on the likely cause.

If symptoms persist, a specialist physiotherapist can use vestibular rehabilitation exercises to retrain the brain to interpret the distorted balance messages being transmitted from the damaged inner ear. Vestibular neuritis can be treated with corticosteroids a type of anti-inflammatory medication in the early stages, and, if necessary, with medication to reduce nausea and vertigo.

Self-care at home for labyrinthitis and vestibular neuritis If your treatment involves vestibular rehabilitation exercises, it is important to continue the exercises at home for as long as you are advised to by your specialist or balance physiotherapist. It is vital to keep moving, despite dizziness or imbalance, even though sitting or lying may be more comfortable.

The aim is to return to your previous activity, work or sport, which helps you adapt to the symptoms and allows your balance system to function normally.

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The sudden onset of such symptoms can be very frightening; many people go to the emergency room or visit their physician on the same day. After a period of gradual recovery that may last several weeks, some people are completely free of symptoms.

Others have chronic dizziness if the virus has damaged the vestibular nerve. Without necessarily understanding the reason, they may observe that everyday activities are fatiguing or uncomfortable, such as walking around in a store, using a computer, being in a crowd, standing in the shower with their eyes closed, or turning their head to converse with another person at the dinner table.

Therefore, a process of elimination is often necessary to diagnose the condition. Because the symptoms of an inner ear virus often mimic other medical problems, a thorough examination is necessary to rule out other causes of dizziness, such as stroke, head injury, cardiovascular disease, allergies, side effects of prescription or nonprescription drugs including alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, and many illegal drugs , neurological disorders, and anxiety.

When other illnesses have been ruled out and the symptoms have been attributed to vestibular neuritis or labyrinthitis, medications are often prescribed to control nausea and to suppress dizziness during the acute phase. Other medications that may be prescribed are steroids e. If nausea has been severe enough to cause excessive dehydration, intravenous fluids may be given.

If treated promptly, many inner ear infections cause no permanent damage. In some cases, however, permanent loss of hearing can result, ranging from barely detectable to total. Permanent damage to the vestibular system can also occur. Positional dizziness or BPPV Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo can also be a secondary type of dizziness that develops from neuritis or labyrinthitis and may recur on its own chronically.

Labyrinthitis may also cause endolymphatic hydrops abnormal fluctuations in the inner ear fluid called endolymph to develop several years later. If symptoms persist, further testing may be appropriate to help determine whether a different vestibular disorder is in fact the correct diagnosis, as well as to identify the specific location of the problem within the vestibular system.

These additional tests will usually include an audiogram hearing test ; and electronystagmography ENG or videonystagmography VNG , which may include a caloric test to measure any differences between the function of the two sides. Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials VEMP may also be suggested to detect damage in a particular portion of the vestibular nerve.

Physicians and audiologists will review test results to determine whether permanent damage to hearing has occurred and whether hearing aids may be useful.

They may also consider treatment for tinnitus if it is present. Usually, the brain can adapt to the altered signals resulting from labyrinthitis or neuritis in a process known as compensation.

Vestibular rehabilitation exercises facilitate this compensation. In order to develop effective retraining exercises, a physical therapist will assess how well the legs are sensing balance that is, providing proprioceptive information , how well the sense of vision is used for orientation, and how well the inner ear functions in maintaining balance.

After the evaluation, personalized vestibular rehabilitation exercises are developed. Most of these exercises can be performed independently at home, although the therapist will continue to monitor and modify the exercises. It is usually recommended that vestibular-suppressant medications be discontinued during this exercise therapy, because the drugs interfere with the ability of the brain to achieve compensation.

The exercises may provide relief immediately, but a noticeable difference may not occur for several weeks. Many people find they must continue the exercises for years in order to maintain optimum inner ear function, while others can stop doing the exercises altogether without experiencing any further problems. A key component of successful adaptation is a dedicated effort to keep moving, despite the symptoms of dizziness and imbalance.

Sitting or lying with the head still, while more comfortable, can prolong or even prevent the process of adaptation. Authors: Charlotte L. Dizziness, vertigo and disequilibrium are common symptoms reported by adults during visits to their doctors. They are all symptoms that can result from a peripheral vestibular disorder a dysfunction of the balance organs of the inner ear or central vestibular disorder a dysfunction of one or more parts of the central nervous system that help process balance and spatial information.

Although these three symptoms can be linked by a common cause, they have different meanings, and describing them accurately can mean the difference between a successful diagnosis and one that is missed. Good balance is often taken for granted. These symptoms can range from mild to severe, with some people feeling that they are unable to remain upright.

Other symptoms include:. See your GP if you have these symptoms. You should also avoid driving, using tools and machinery, or working at heights if you're feeling dizzy. In most cases, the symptoms pass within a few weeks. Treatment involves a combination of bed rest and medication to help you cope better with the symptoms. You may need additional medication to fight the underlying infection, although antibiotics are not often required as the cause is most commonly due to a virus.

Contact your GP if you do not notice any improvement after three weeks. You may need to be referred to an ear, nose and throat ENT specialist. A small number of people have persistent symptoms that last for several months, or possibly years. This requires a more intensive type of treatment called vestibular rehabilitation therapy VRT. Read more about treating labyrinthitis. Inflammation of the labyrinth can disrupt your hearing and sense of balance, triggering the symptoms of labyrinthitis.

The labyrinth usually becomes inflamed either because of:. Read more about the causes of labyrinthitis. Most cases of viral labyrinthitis occur in adults aged 30 to 60 years old. Viral labyrinthitis is relatively common in adults. Other types of ear infections are usually more widespread in children. Bacterial labyrinthitis is much less common. Younger children under two years old are more vulnerable to developing bacterial labyrinthitis. Bacterial labyrinthitis carries a higher risk of causing permanent hearing loss, particularly in children who have developed it as a complication of meningitis.

Severe hearing loss following bacterial labyrinthitis can sometimes be treated with a cochlear implant. This is not a conventional hearing aid, but a small electronic device fitted under the skin behind the ear during surgery. Read more information about hearing loss. Many people diagnosed with labyrinthitis only experience the balance symptoms without hearing loss.

Labyrinthitis is caused by inflammation of part of the inner ear known as the labyrinth. This is caused by an infection. The fluid-filled channels of the labyrinth are known as the vestibular system and they are connected at different angles.

This fluid moves when you move your head, telling your brain how far, fast and in what direction your head is moving. This allows your body to balance properly. The vestibular system works in a similar way to a stereo, with your left and right ears sending separate signals to your brain. If one ear becomes infected, these signals become out of sync, which confuses your brain and triggers symptoms such as dizziness and loss of balance. The labyrinth also contains a small, spiral-shaped cavity called the cochlea.

It sends sound waves to the language processing areas of the brain. Inflammation can disrupt this function, leading to hearing loss. Around half of all cases of viral labyrinthitis are thought to be caused when a viral infection of the chest, nose, mouth and airways — such as the common cold or flu — spreads to the inner ear.

Infections that affect the rest of the body, such as measles , mumps or glandular fever , are a less common cause of viral labyrinthitis.

Labyrinthitis can sometimes be caused by a bacterial infection. This is rarer than a viral infection and is likely to be more serious. Bacteria can enter the labyrinth if the thin layers of tissue that separate your middle ear from your inner ear are broken. This can happen if you have a middle ear infection or an infection of the brain lining meningitis.

Bacteria can also get into your inner ear if you have had a head injury. Labyrinthitis often develops in people who have an underlying autoimmune condition where the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue rather than fighting off infections.

Many conditions can cause dizziness and vertigo. Your GP will usually diagnose labyrinthitis based on your symptoms, your medical history and a physical examination. Your GP will also check your eyes. If they are flickering uncontrollably, it is usually a sign that your vestibular system the body's balancing system is not working properly. There is no reliable test to determine whether labyrinthitis is caused by a viral or bacterial infection because testing for infection would damage the labyrinth.

Doctors can usually safely assume that labyrinthitis is the result of a viral infection more common unless there is strong evidence to suggest otherwise, such as:.