Vertigo and dizziness are common problems associated with inner ear conditions. Vertigo can be very dangerous if you do not understand what is causing it. Benigh paroxysmal positional vertigo and labyrinthitis are two very common reasons that you may experiencing vertigo. Let’s explore more about these conditions.
Things To Know About Labyrinthitis
1. What Is It?
Labyrinthitis is an inner ear problem. Your inner ear is what helps to control your balance, and with this condition it becomes swollen or inflamed. It may also be referred to as vestibular nueritis. This problem can cause some very uncomfortable symptoms and may have been caused by a number of different thigns.
2. Symptoms
The most prevalent symptom with labryrinthitis is vertigo. This is different than regular dizziness because it makes you feel as though you are spinning and makes it difficult to walk. This vertigo comes on very suddenly and without warning, which can make it very dangerous if you are driving a vehicle or operating machinery. Tinnitus is also a common symptoms. This is when you hear a “ringing” in your ear that won’t go away. Hearing loss is a more severe symptom but is also possible with labryrinthitis.
3. Cause
Labyrinthitis is often caused by a previous virus or bacterial infection, most commonly a upper respiratory tract infection. Some things can increase your risk for developing labyrinthitis including allergies, stress, smoking, and consuming a large amount of alcohol.
4. Treatment
Labyrinthitis will often go away on it’s own within a couple of weeks, but some treatment options are available to help with symptoms. Nausea medicines may be prescribed to help with vomiting and nausea from vertigo. Some sedatives, steroids, and antiviral agents are also commonly used.
What You Need To Know About BPPV
1. Overview
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, more commonly referred to as BPPV, is a problem in the inner ear and is the most common cause of vertigo. It is caused by the otoconia becoming shifted from its normal position.
2. Symptoms
Vertigo is the most common symptom of BPPV. Nausea, visual disturbances, fainting, and twitching are some of the symptoms of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. These problems typically only last a few minutes. If numbness or weakness are experienced it may indicated a more serious etiology problem.
3. Causes
BPPV is caused by a dislodging of the otoconia from it’s original position in the utricle. When it is present it can be triggered by head movements. Tilting the head, looking up or down, rolling over in bed, or any sudden head motion can spur symptoms to begin. Some things can also cause episodes to happen more frequently such as lack of sleep and stress.
4. Treatment
In order to help relieve BPPV a doctor may use a series of head movements known as canalith re-positioning.These movements are very slow and simple positioning of the head in order to move fluid from one area of the inner ear to the other. The positions are held for thirty seconds a piece after the vertigo ends. In extremely rare and severe cases a surgical procedure where a bone plug is inserted to block part of the inner ear may be necessary.
Differences Between Labyrinthitis and BPPV
1. Cause
The major difference between labyrinthitis and BPPV is the actual cause. In BPPV the problem stems from certain parts of the inner ear being moved out of their normal position. Labyrinthitis is caused by part of the inner ear becoming swollen and inflamed.
2. Treatment
The treatments for these inner ear conditions are also pretty different. In BPPV head re positioning movements are done by a physician in order to help re-position the parts that have moved. Labyrinthitis typically goes away on it’s own and some medications to help manage symptoms are sometimes used.
3. Length
BPPV and labyrinthitis cause many similar problems but the length that they last are very different. BPPV can be chronic, while it may get better for some periods of time, it can also resurface. Labyrinthitis only lasts a couple of weeks and usually goes away completely on it’s own.