Ear Problems And Dizziness
Almost everyone experiences dizziness at some time in their life. People use the terms “dizziness” and “vertigo” interchangeably, but they mean two different things to doctors. Vertigois a sensation of being dizzy reason by spinning. You feel as if you are still and the environment is spinning around you. Dizziness is a sense of unbalance that does not include spinning. There are many reason of dizziness, and some of them start in your ears!
Inner Ear Inflammation and Infection
This may occur as you come down with a cold. Unexpectedly you get severe dizziness and it won’t go away! In addition, you may feel sick to your stomach and find it hard to keep your balance. It could be caused by inflammation or infection of the inner ear. ENTs call this acute vestibular neuritis. This means that the inner ear or the nerve that join the brain to the inner ear is infected or swollen. Infections in the inner ear tend to be viral (where infections in the middle ear are more bacterial). The onset of the acute phase is sudden. You may notice it upon rising in the morning. If the nerve is inflamed, you may find a sudden decrease in hearing. Viral infections are difficult to treat and many times the infection must run its course. If the symptoms are severe, you may want to stay in bed and limit daily activity.
Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo
You experience this form of vertigo when you change situation. It may occur when you sit or stand rapidly, turn your head speedily, or get out of bed in the morning. The symptoms of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo generally last no more than a minute. They end as rapidly as they start. This condition is rarely serious, but it can be quite annoying. It is reason by the movement of very fine crystals in your ear that function to make you sensitive to gravity. When these crystals get dislodged and travel to the wrong location in your ear, it reason the semicircular canal in your ear to become sensitive to head position. Normally this area of your ear is not concerned with the position of your head. If benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is bothersome, your ENT can perform a series of movements known as the canalith repositioning procedure. This will help get those crystals back where they belong.
Meniere’s disease
Meniere’s disease can start at any age, but it is most general after the age of 40. You may have severe vertigo that is accompanied by tinnitus or a sense of fullness in your ear. It’s reason by a buildup of fluid in the ear. In addition to tinnitus you may also experience hearing loss during an episode of Meniere’s disease. Unlike fluid buildup in the middle ear, this fluid cannot be easily drained. The fluid reason inflammation to the nerve that connects the inner ear to the brain. The difference between this and an inner ear infection is that Meniere’s disease happen again and again.
See the ENT for Dizziness and Vertigo
Occasional dizziness or vertigo should not be a reason for concern. But if you have symptoms that last for a week or your dizziness or vertigo seems to betting worse, it’s time to see the ENT. They have the knowledge and skills to expertly diagnose the reason and prescribe a course of treatment.