Global Health Asia-Pacific June 2021 | Page 12

You Ask , They Answer

SEMICIRCULAR CANALS
MALLEUS COCHLEA
VESTIBULAR NERVE
COCHLEAR NERVE
EAR CANAL INCUS
CONCHA
STAPES
TYMPANIC MEMBRANE
EUSTACHIAN TUBE

Q

: What is labyrinthitis ?

A

: Labyrinthitis can feel like you ’ re on a fairground ride that you never liked the look of and didn ’ t want to get on . It ’ s like you ’ re whizzing round and around , making you feel nauseous and dizzy . It doesn ’ t matter if your eyes are open or closed .
It is an inner-ear infection that affects the balance , causing dizziness or vertigo . It ’ s caused by inflammation of the labyrinth , which is a delicate network of channels filled with fluid deep in the ear . Bacteria or viruses can cause this inflammation , as can autoimmune processes .
In addition to dizziness , it can cause mild to complete hearing loss and symptoms such as pressure inside the ears , tinnitus , ear pain , nausea , headaches , and blurred vision .
You can just wake up with it one day , when it feels like you ’ re living in a kaleidoscope , going round and round .

Q

: How is it diagnosed and treated ?

A

: Labrynthitis can often appear days after you have a cold or the flu . When the cold symptoms go away after a few days , the virus might still lurk in the ear and cause all sorts of havoc .
Certain symptoms can be signs of more serious conditions , so it should be checked out immediately by a GP at the onset . It is diagnosed with a combination of blood tests , hearing and eye movement tests , or a CT or MRI scan to identify images of cranial structures .
If you have a vertigo attack , just sit still and avoid any quick movements . Avoid screens , and especially computer monitors . If it happens when you ’ re in bed , you should try sitting up , preferably on a chair , in low lighting .
In most cases , the symptoms of dizziness will go away within a few days or even a couple of weeks . They can be relieved with prescription antihistamines and anti-dizziness and nausea medications .
However , some people will experience balance problems that can last for much longer , and even continue for months or years .

Q

: What can be done to relieve the symptoms of long-term vertigo caused by labyrinthitis ?

A

: Vestibular rehabilitation is a series of exercises that can be done to help restore balance . You can do exercises to retrain the brain to try and concentrate on what ’ s right in front of you . Something that can be useful is putting a chess board on the wall and pinning it with a small letter in the middle .
Stand with your feet together with one slightly forward a few metres away from the board and then focus on the letter while moving the head from side to side for 10 seconds and then up and down for another 10 seconds . This is really effective if you ’ re about to leave the house .
Another exercise is to walk straight for 10 metres while turning the head from side to side and not focusing on anything at all . Another is to walk along the same area , focusing on something in the distance .
It ’ s easy to get despondent having to do these exercises several times a day , but patients should always bear in mind that in the vast majority of cases their vertigo will go away .
Dr Christopher Coulson
Dr Christopher Coulson is an otolaryngologist specialising in diseases of the inner ear at Sydney Medical School .
10 JUNE 2021 GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com