Danger level: Medium
What is it?
Labyrinthitis is an inflammation inside your ear, which can cause loss of balance and problems hearing.
Who gets it?
Labyrinthitis can be caused by a virus or bacteria. Usually, when it’s caused by a virus, it appears at ages 30-60 and is more rare in children. If bacteria are the cause, it usually appears in children younger than 2 years.
What causes it?
As explained in the article about vertigo, there are 3 systems responsible for giving us balance: The eyes, the joints and muscles, and the ears.
Our ears have 3 parts: The outer ear – which is what you see hanging one the side of people’s heads until our eardrum; the middle ear – is the part behind our eardrum, responsible for transmitting the sound; and the inner ear, which is responsible both for processing sound and for our balance.
The labyrinth is the part in our inner ear responsible for sound processing and balance.
The labyrinth – this structure is in charge of our balance.
In labyrinthitis, the labyrinth gets swollen and inflamed. Usually it’s caused by a viral infection, but bacteria can cause it as well. Often it comes after an upper respiratory infection (such as a cold or flu).
For a more detailed explanation (including a nice animation) you can watch this video:
How does it feel?
There are some things which appear in labyrinthitis:
- Vertigo – In vertigo, you feel like the world is spinning around you. The vertigo starts suddenly, without a warning. Usually people with vertigo prefer to not move, and keep their eyes closed. Otherwise, they might feel nauseated and want to vomit.
- Hearing loss – That loss usually goes away after the inflammation has passed.
- Tinnitus – Tinnitus is the sound of ringing in your ears. It can be annoying, but it, too, passes after the inflammation subsides.
These symptoms tend to go away after a few days or weeks.
How is it discovered?
Usually, labyrinthitis is diagnosed by hearing your story and by a physical exam. The exam can include hearing tests, and an eye test to see if you have an uncontrollable flickering of the eyes, called nystagmus, which is common during labyrinthitis.
If the doctor suspects another cause for your vertigo, they may perform an MRI or CT scan to rule them out.
How is it treated?
In most cases, no treatment is needed, as labyrinthitis goes away on its own. If bacteria caused it, you may need to take antibiotics, but if the cause is viral, antibiotics will not help (since they don’t treat viruses, only bacteria).
While recovering, your doctor may give you drugs to help with the nausea and vomiting.
What happens after treatment?
In a few days to a few weeks, the symptoms are usually completely gone. Hearing loss may take more time to heal, though. If the cause is a virus, the hearing loss tends to go away, but with bacteria, some level of hearing loss may stay for good.
The bottom line – How do I avoid it?
If you have an infection your airways (such as a cold) or an ear infection, treating them on time might prevent labyrinthitis from developing.
What next?
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Related posts:
- Meniere’s Disease – From Head Spinning To Hearing Loss
- Otitis Externa (Swimmer’s Ear) – Why You Should Never Use Q-Tips
- Gas Gangrene – An Infection That Can Rapidly Kill Your Muscles (As Seen on House MD)
- Meningitis – The Brain Infection That Could Kill You, and How To Recognize It
- Head Spinning (Vertigo) – What Causes It?
