5 Inner Ear Balance Disorders

Inner ear balance disorders are those kinds of disorders which originate from the vestibular system within the ear and are also known as balance disorders or inner ear disorders. Vestibular systems are a part of the inner ear which detects the head’s motion and governs the balance and posture.

Inner Ear Balance Disorders

Inner ear balance disorders generally occur when the nerve fibers are disrupted in any way. The following are the 5 inner ear balance disorders:

1. Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo

One of the most common inner ear balance disorder is called benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.  People with this kind of a disorder experience vertigo when they roll over from one side of the bed to another and even when they are standing up from a bent position.  They also experience vertigo while tilting their head back to wash hair or to shave etc.  Some of the causes of this disorder include head trauma and calcium carbonate crystals in the inner ear that tend to become dislodged.

2. Labyrinthitis

This is another inner ear balance disorder which is generally caused due to inflammation in the labyrinth which is basically a membranous structure in the inner ear. In most cases, the inflammation is caused due to the development of a bacterial infection or a viral infection.  This type of an inner ear balance disorder is usually treated by drainage of the middle ear or through antibiotics.  Some infections which may cause this condition are toxic Labyrinthitis and syphilitic Labyrinthitis.

3. Meniere’s Disease

The third type of inner ear balance disorder is the Meniere’s disease which doesn’t have any known cause yet.  Some symptoms through which you can identify the occurrence of this inner ear disorder include vertigo, tinnitus, hearing loss in one ear and even a sense of fullness inside the ear.  The episodes of this disorder sometimes last for a few hours while in some of the cases, they may only last for a few minutes.

4. Vestibular Neuronitis

When inflammation of the nerve called vestibular never takes place then an inner ear balance disorder occurs and this disorder is termed as vestibular neuronitis.  In this disorder, all those messages which are sent by the vestibular nerve to the brain get disrupted and disturbed and this leads to attacks of vertigo.  Due to this, the person may experience vomiting and nausea.

In some cases, these episodes can even last for weeks and this disorder can be treated with anti-vertigo medication or anti-nausea medications. Some other ways to treat it are antihistamines and sedatives.  Often bed rest is too recommended for about 2-3 days.

5. Perilymphatic Fistula

This is that kind of an inner ear balance disorder which is caused due to the leakage of the Perilymphatic fluid which is located in the surrounding of the inner ear structure.  The main symptom of this kind of an inner ear disorder is a sudden beginning of vertigo or complete hearing loss in some cases.  It can be caused due to trauma, surgery or due to an infection.

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