Dizziness from ear infection
If you are experiencing dizziness and lightheadedness following an ear infection.
If you want to know what causes dizziness and lightheadedness after ear infections?
If you want to know the ways to get rid of lightheadedness and dizziness caused by ear infections, we recommend that you read more:
What you will read next:
Introduction
Ear infections include:
- External ear infection
- Middle ear infection
- Inner ear infection
(Especially otitis media or middle ear infection)
It is one of the most common infections, especially in infants and young children, but adults can also experience middle ear infections.
One of the most frightening experiences for some people following an ear infection is the onset of lightheadedness and dizziness caused by the infection, and sometimes due to inner ear infections, dizziness occurs that even paralyzes the person and can be accompanied by severe nausea and Vomiting. it is interesting to know that the above sign starts quite suddenly.
If you also experience dizziness and lightheadedness along with ear infections and this is a cause for concern and annoyance, read on.
Why do we get lightheadedness and dizziness following an ear infection?
Ear infections are a condition that many people experience.
It is said that if you have a middle ear infection, there is a possibility of infection of the inner ear, and as a result, the person may have the most horrible experience of dizziness and lightheadedness, which can be accompanied by severe nausea and vomiting to the point that the sufferer refrains from doing his daily work. In the created dizziness, the person basically prefers to keep his head and neck steady and keep his eyes closed.
What causes lightheadedness and dizziness of ear origin?
If dizziness or lightheadedness originates from your ear problems, we must say that you should feel certain features in your experience.
First, these dizziness and lightheadedness occur in a way that is usually accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
It is also usually preferable not to shake your head or neck, close your eyes, and rest in a quiet place.
The following are the causes of dizziness and sometimes lightheadedness caused by ear infections:
- Viral ear infections
- Bacterial ear infections
- History of trauma and ear trauma
- Tumors
In general, any factor that can cause pressure or inflammation on the balance part of the ear nerve can cause dizziness and lightheadedness of ear origin.
What are the characteristics of dizziness and lightheadedness caused by ear infections and ear problems?
Their severity usually decreases after the first 72 hours, including accompanying severe nausea and sudden vomiting. It can also be accompanied by a feeling of gait imbalance. People also usually experience nystagmus.
Nystagmus means that the doctor notices the rotation of the affected pupil.
Also, another feature of these dizziness and lightheadedness is that the person tries his best to keep his head still, not to move his head, and close his eyes.
Another characteristic is that dizziness and wheezing that originate from ear problems and infections can recur, but recurrences are not usually common.
Another point is that sometimes ear infections occur with lightheadedness and the above symptoms, also the person experiences numbness and facial nerve palsy on the same side of the affected ear.
What causes dizziness and lightheadedness of ear origin?
- Benign positional vertigo
BPV is one of the most common causes of lightheadedness, especially dizziness of ear origin.
Ear infections are also involved. Infections are often viral and spread from the middle ear to the inner ear fluid, which enters the semicircular canals, causing imbalance and lightheadedness and dizziness. Dizziness is common in seasons when viral infections are common. Autumn and winter are common seasons of this type of dizziness and lightheadedness that are the source of ear problems.
The person states that when he shakes his head and neck, he feels light-headedness, dizziness, and blacking out. In fact, when the head is shaken, the fluid inside the ear moves and by moving the deposited pebbles, the balance receptors of the inner ear are stimulated and the person feels dizzy, unbalanced and light-headed.
The next cause
- Middle ear infections in childhood
Middle ear infections are very common in infants and young children. They also occur in adults and are one of the reasons that can cause lightheadedness and dizziness due to ear infections.
Following middle ear infections, bacteria, viruses, or toxins may invade the cochlear vestibule of the inner ear, causing inflammation and infection in the inner ear. Inflammation is accompanied by temporary dizziness as well as mild sensorineural hearing loss.
Interestingly, there are credible studies that show that children who have experienced recurrent middle ear infections are more likely to experience dizziness and lightheadedness in adulthood than their peers.
In the following, we want to explain to you more about the inflammation and infection of the inner ear called labyrinthitis, which is one of the causes of dizziness, nausea, vomiting and sensorineural hearing loss.
What is meant by otitis media infection or labyrinthitis?
It is a disorder of the inner ear. The ear nerve is the eighth pair of nerves in the brain, with two parts that include the auditory part and the balance part, and transmits information and data to the brain through semicircular canals. In case of Inflammation and infection of the labyrinths, the balance and auditory nerves are also involved and the symptoms of labyrinthitis appear.
What are the symptoms following a labyrinthitis or inner ear infection?
the disease will develop very quickly and will be very severe during the first 72 hours, then usually after the first 72 hours the symptoms will decrease significantly.
The sufferer feels more symptoms when he shakes his head and neck.
Labyrinthitis is usually not associated with earache and its manifestations can include the following:
- Loss of balance and problems with vision stability
- Hearing loss or hearing impairment that is usually one-sided at high frequencies
- Nausea and vomiting
- Lightheadedness
- dizziness
- And tinnitus
It is important to note that sometimes, in very rare cases, the sufferer may lose hearing permanently.
What causes labyrinthitis, inflammation and infection of the inner ear?
Labyrinthitis can occur at any age. Among the factors that affect the occurrence of labyrinthitis are the following:
- Respiratory diseases, especially lower respiratory diseases such as acute bronchitis and Inflammation of the bronchi and Lyme disease
- Herpes virus
- Gastrointestinal viruses
- Viral infections
- And bacterial infections which are the most important bacterial infections causing labyrinthitis, They spread to the inner ear following a middle ear infection.
What are the risk factors for labyrinthitis?
Smokers, People who are habitually addicted to drinking large amounts of alcohol, Fatigue, Severe stress, History of respiratory allergies, Taking certain medications, such as aspirin.
Diagnosis
Be sure to see your doctor if you or those around you have one or more of the clinical signs and symptoms of labyrinthitis.
There are certain symptoms that if they occur, it is necessary to consider these emergency symptoms and you should see an emergency examination and treatment immediately.
Occurrence of the diplopia, Unilateral paralysis of the face, Progressive weakness One side of the face, Fever and speech disorder, Convulsions and fainting. When the doctor visits you with the symptoms mentioned above, after taking a detailed history, he must have a complete physical examination. In some cases, tests such as the following should be used in addition to an ear exam if it is not helpful:
From diagnostic tests:
VNG
VEMP
Audiometry
And from the diagnostic imaging aids MRI can be mentioned.
What are the differential diagnoses of dizziness and lightheadedness following an ear infection?
Munir disease
Migraine
Mild strokes, cervical spine injuries, intracranial hemorrhage, dizziness, Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, and brain tumors.
To examine labyrinthitis, it is necessary to use the following:
Audiometric hearing tests, CT scan and MRI of the head
VNG (videonystagmography)
VEMP (vestibular evoked myogenic potential)
treatment
Internal ear infections or labyrinthitis are cases that are often treated with care and supportive measures and sometimes medication.
Inflammation of the inner ear sometimes becomes chronic and requires a procedure called Vestibular rehabilitation therapy or VRT.
What are the methods that can be used to improve labyrinthitis or inner ear infection and improve and relieve dizziness and lightheadedness related to ear infections?
Do not forget to drink plenty of fluids, especially water. In the early stages, dizziness and vertigo are very severe. To avoid falling and being injured, you must rest in bed for the first three days. After 72 hours, severe symptoms will disappear.
Here are some steps you can take to begin the process of preparation for mediation:
- Avoid exposure to strong light
- Do not drink alcohol
- Stay away from noise
- Avoid anything stressful
- When you have a severe attack or dizziness, be sure to lie down and it is better to lie on your side.
- Avoid driving and using tools and equipment that require alertness.
Medications used for treatment are prescribed by a doctor for a short time when dizziness, lightheadedness, and severe imbalance occur. These include benzodiazepines.
The benzodiazepine group of drugs in this class reduces the activity and alertness of the central nervous system, ie the brain is less exposed to abnormal signals received from the atrial system of your inner ear. Long-term use of this drug is addictive and is never recommended arbitrarily and long-term.
If a person has lightheadedness or dizziness with an inner ear infection that has caused nausea and vomiting, the following medications may be prescribed: Prochlorperazine, available as 5 mg tablets to treat the symptoms of lightheadedness originating from the ear, and is a good alternative to benzodiazepines.
If we want to determine the side effects of the pills, the most common ones are mentioned in the following:
- Drowsiness
- chills
- Abnormal body or face movements
If you have nausea, you can also use Prochlorperazine 3 mg tablets. Insert this tablet into your mouth between your gums and cheeks.
- Other drugs include corticosteroids
Corticosteroids: If you have severe symptoms of inflammation and severe labyrinthitis, prednisolone should always be prescribed to reduce inflammation.
- The fourth category of drugs
Antibiotics:
If the source of infection and inflammation of the inner ear is bacteria, the doctor must prescribe antibiotics in the form of capsule tablets or injections in hospitalization.
What are the symptoms in case of hospitalization?
If a person has acute labyrinthitis and an inner ear infection with dizziness and lightheadedness, if they have one or more of the following symptoms, it is best to be examined in a hospital:
- vision disorders and diplopia
- Speech problems
- Change of gait
- And numbness on one side of the body or one side of the face
Can inflammation of the inner ear with chronic headache and dizziness be chronic?
Yes, few people can experience the painful symptoms for months to several years. The onset of symptoms will not be as severe as severity of the symptoms in acute labyrinthitis, they have mild dizziness and lightheadedness.
However, prolonged lightheadedness and dizziness can have a profound effect on the quality of life of the sufferer's job, education, and daily activities.
In people with chronic vertigo due to chronic inflammation of the inner ear, the use of methods called Vestibular rehabilitation therapy or VRT is required. Thus, the nervous system is trained to understand abnormal signals sent from the affected ear. Hand and eye movements are coordinated, and the ability to walk and maintain balance and power and the stability of the person's limbs will improve when walking.