Acute inflammation of the inner ear

Acute inflammation of the inner ear is characterized by nausea, vomiting, dizziness. The disease is popularly known as labyrinthitis and is a complication of diseases such as meningitis or otitis media. Medicines in the inflammation of the inner ear are usually given intravenously.

What is acute inflammation of the inner ear?

Acute inflammation of the inner ear is a quite dangerous disease, also known as labyrinthitis. Inflammation in the course of this disease includes the vestibule, snail and three semicircular canals. The disease usually develops as a result of transferring inflammation from the middle ear to the inner ear, however, there may be several reasons, such as the development of the disease due to injury, surgery or after meningitis. Symptoms of acute otitis media include dizziness, vomiting and nausea. If any symptoms appear, the patient should be in the ward as soon as possible, where the otolaryngologist is on duty. It is important to quickly recognize and implement the treatment, because the inflammatory process can spread to the nearby structures of the skull, which is a threat to life.

Causes of acute otitis media

The disease occurs due to the presence of bacteria usually coming from the middle ear. Inflammation may occur due to HIV, HsV or VZV. The cause may also be toxoplasmosis.

Usually the disease is:

• complications of acute meningitis (less frequently, more often leads to it),
• complication of acute otitis media,
• the consequence of temporal bone injury,
• complication after the surgery,
• condition after chronic otitis media.

Acute inflammation of the inner ear can also be observed in the course of rubella, measles, mumps, influenza, shingles or chickenpox.

Acute otitis media - symptoms

The inflammation that accompanies this disorder, and thus bacterial toxins, destroys the structure of the inner ear and spreads to the nearby skull structure, which can cause serious health damage. However, the most common symptoms associated with otitis media are:

• dizziness,
• vomiting,
• nausea,
• partial hearing loss,
• hearing impairment,
• feeling of general fatigue,
• balance disorders,
• the vibration of the eyeballs called nystagmus,
• tinnitus.

Usually, there are no pain or high temperatures. However, if such symptoms occur, you should immediately consult a doctor so that the patient's condition does not deteriorate.

Diagnosis of acute inflammation of the inner ear

In patients with labyrinthitis the goal of treatment is to suppress the spreading inflammatory process, therefore a specific type of therapy is implemented immediately. Diagnosis of the disease is based on a clinical examination of the patient and ear ligation, which reveals its functioning and condition of the hearing aid. In addition, the patient's hearing can be examined using audiometry and reed trials. To make sure that one hundred percent diagnosis is certain, the X-ray of the temporal bone and even the computed tomography of the head are performed.

Important! If you suspect cerebellum damage, you may need to visit a neurologist who will perform the Romberg trial - study of the congregation of movements.

Acute inflammation of the inner ear - treatment

Inflammation of the inner ear can give strong enough symptoms that the patient must be treated in a hospital. Pharmacological treatment is based on the administration of antibiotics, which aims to inhibit the inflammatory process. The preparations are administered intravenously, and in addition, middle ear drainage is sometimes performed so that the discharge can be freely removed. Among the general recommendations, we mention the limitation of physical effort and the consumption of light meals in small portions.

In some patients in whom pharmacological treatment has not yielded the expected benefits, surgery should be performed. It is aimed at the removal of inflammation by mastoidectomy or labyrinthectomy (removal of the labyrinth used in the case of purulent labyrinthitis).

Complications of acute inflammation of the inner ear

Properly diagnosed disease has a very good prognosis and there is a chance to completely heal it. However, disregarding ailments or inadequate medical care causes that a patient may have dangerous complications.

Among the complications of acute inflammation of the inner ear, we mention:

• abscess of the cerebellum,
• meningitis,
• hearing loss (total),
• temporal lobe abscess,
• thrombotic sinus thrombosis,
• epidural or sub-zona abscess,
• damage to the balance organ,
• inflammation of the temporal bone pyramid,
• facial nerve palsy (osteoarthritis),
• subperiosteal abscess with mastoid inflammation.

Can you prevent the disease?

There are no specific methods to prevent severe inflammation of the inner ear. The essence is the exact treatment of all inflammatory conditions located in the area of ​​the middle ear.