What is Labyrinthitis - Health Conditions

What is Labyrinthitis?

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What is labyrinthitis?

Labyrinthitis is a disorder which affects the inner ear that causes swelling, inflammation and irritation.

The middle ear is also known as the labyrinth, so inflammation of the labyrinth is called labyrinthitis (the "itis" means inflammation).

Labyrinthitis seems to occur after a viral infection of the ear or an upper respiratory infection (usually caused by a virus), which can also affect the delicate middle ear.

The middle ear contains the hearing and balance organs, such as the cochlea, which contains the hearing organ that converts sounds that the brain interprets through nervous impulses.

Since the middle ear contains the hearing and balance organs, this is the reason why temporary loss of balance and loss of hearing are generally the main symptoms of labyrinthitis.

Facts about labyrinthitis

Labyrinthitis is normally caused by a viral infection
Labyrinthitis causes vertigo (or dizziness) symptoms quite commonly
The immune system is usually effective at healing the labyrinthitis within a few weeks after it starts
Some people experience many episodes of labyrinthitis throughout their life
Antibiotics are useless as a form of treatment for labyrinthitis, because the inflammation is generally caused by a virus and antibiotics do nothing to viruses
Labyrinthitis is part of a larger group of disorders known as vertiginous syndrome, which also includes the following: benign positional vertigo, Meniere disease and vestibular disorders
Labyrinthitis can cause permanent hearing damage (hearing loss) or even permanent loss of balance if it is not treated promptly

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Last reviewed: 10 November 2007 || Last updated: 3 January 2009

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