Inflammation or disturbance in the vestibular nerve that is responsible for sending signals from the inner ear to the brain for regulating the balance of the body is known as vestibular neuritis. When the vestibular nerve becomes inflamed, the flow of information breaks and the message is not communicated properly to the brain thereby making a person experience loss of equilibrium.
When a person is experiencing vestibular neuritis the vestibular nerve becomes swollen and a person experiences vertigo dizziness. The symptoms of vestibular neuritis generally subside within a few weeks. Experiencing repeated episodes of vertigo bouts for a few months is added on.
If statistics are to be believed, vestibular neuritis vertigo conditions can be diagnosed in anyone irrespective of age and gender. The percentage of vestibular neuritis diagnosis in children is very rare.
Seek medical help at the accurate time. It helps in easing out vestibular neuritis symptoms within a few days and helps in early recovery. An expert neurologist will carry a series of tests for vestibular neuritis diagnosis and would suggest the right treatments and vestibular neuritis medication for vestibular neuritis cure.
Why do people consider vestibular neuritis & labyrinthitis as same?
Many people are confused between the two inner ear conditions vestibular neuritis & labyrinthitis respectively and consider it the same. Both the conditions are quite similar to each other as both are caused due to inflammation in the inner ear nerves, but yet it holds a slight difference.
When a person experiences inflammation or injury in the vestibular nerve present in the inner ear that sends sensory signals to the brain to maintain body balance, such a condition is referred to as Vestibular neuritis. The inflamed nerves fail to send sensory signals to the brain thereby making a person feel dizzy all of sudden.
Whereas in labyrinthitis, a person experiences inflammation in both the vestibular nerves present in the inner ear and cochlear nerve which is responsible for hearing as well as maintaining body balance.
In labyrinthitis, a person experiences disturbance in hearing ability and experience ringing sensations known as tinnitus along with bouts of vertigo spells. When we talk about Vestibular neuritis, it only makes a person feel dizzy by showing up vertigo symptoms.
What are the common vestibular neuritis symptoms?
The symptoms of Vestibular neuritis appear suddenly and start settling down within a few weeks. Vestibular neuritis symptoms take about three weeks to alleviate completely. In some intense cases, a person may experience vertigo dizziness for several months. Living with vestibular neuritis symptoms is quite a tough task as it causes hindrance in completing daily chores. A person can experience mild to severe symptoms like subtle dizziness to intense spinning sensations along with other symptoms depending on the severity of the condition. If the case is complex, standing up or simply walking seems to be a hectic and tiring task. The symptoms can even get triggered due to sudden movements of the head or while walking up suddenly in the morning after long hours of sleep if the case is severe.
Here is a list of common vestibular neuritis symptoms:
- Sudden bouts of Vertigo spells
- Loss of equilibrium or dizziness
- Difficulty in maintaining balance
- Nausea & vomiting
- Blurry vision
- Difficulty in concentration
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms, it is advised to consult a neurologist immediately to get yourself diagnosed for vestibular neuritis. Seeking medical help at the right time prevents the symptoms from getting intense.
What are the causes of vestibular neuritis vertigo?
A viral infection in the inner ear or the other body parts or swelling caused by viruses around the vestibulocochlear nerve can cause vestibular neuritis and trigger its symptoms even further. Measles, flu, mononucleosis, rubella, mumps, shingles, chickenpox are some of the common viral infections that can cause vestibular neuritis in patients. In some very rare cases, bacterial infections can even lead to such a condition in patients.
How is vestibular neuritis diagnosed?
Once you consult an expert neurologist after experiencing some vestibular neuritis symptoms, he will ask you to undergo various tests for vestibular neuritis diagnosis.
He will examine the serious cause of dizziness and spinning sensations. MRI scans, hearing tests, vestibular tests, Videonystagmography (VNG Test), Video Head Impulse Test (vHIT), are some of the common tests that help in diagnosing the condition and to identify whether a part of the vestibulocochlear nerve is damaged.
How is vestibular neuritis treated?
If you are diagnosed with vestibular neuritis which is caused due to viral infection, your doctor will prescribe you with certain vestibular neuritis medication for vestibular neuritis cure. Diphenhydramine, meclizine, lorazepam, diazepam are some of the commonly prescribed antibiotics that help in easing symptoms like dizziness and nausea. IV fluids are sometimes suggested by doctors to patients who experience excess vomiting and become dehydrated. If your symptoms do not seem to ease with certain antibiotics even after a few weeks, then your doctor may recommend vestibular rehabilitation therapy.
The vestibular rehabilitation therapy is quite effective in treating vestibular neuritis. It involves a set of exercises that requires gentle head and body movements that allow your brain to get adjusted to your balance changes. Regular practice of vertigo exercises like Brandt-Daroff exercises helps in reducing the symptoms of vestibular neuritis.
Initially, you may experience your symptoms are triggering even further after doing these exercises. It is advised to perform these exercises under expert guidance for the right techniques and procedures.
Regular practice of vestibular neuritis exercises two to three times a day gives effective results and improvement in the condition is observed within a few days. It may take up to three weeks to recover from the condition and symptoms to subside completely. But, some patients may still experience occasional dizzy spells for several months. While it becomes difficult to carry out day to day activities, but it is advised to keep your body in movement during the recovery process as it helps in regaining balance quickly.
Seek medical help on time to get the right vestibular neuritis treatment that helps in escalating symptoms sooner than you expect.