What is Vestibular Neuritis: Test, Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment?

| articles | Letstalk | Tag Archives: Ask The Experts

What is Vestibular Neuritis: Test, Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment?

Vestibular Neuritis is an inner ear condition that is caused due to inflammation or injury in the vestibular nerve that is responsible for sending signals from the inner ear to the brain that helps in regulating the balance of the body. The unclear messages sent to the brain due to inflamed vestibular nerve results in making a person feel dizzy along with spinning sensations known as vertigo. The condition usually improves after a few days and symptoms may take up to three to four weeks to subside completely. A person suffering from Vestibular Neuritis experiences repeated episodes of sudden bouts of dizziness and vertigo spells for several months. It is a common condition that is diagnosed in anyone irrespective of age and gender but is rarely found in children. Seeking medical help and consulting an expert neurologist at the right time helps in easing the condition. Your doctor will carry a series of tests for Vestibular Neuritis diagnosis. Once you are diagnosed with the same, he will suggest the best treatment for vestibular neuritis cure. He will even prescribe some vertigo medications as vertigo treatment along with vestibular neuritis medication to ease spinning sensations and treat the inflamed vestibular nerve.

Why do people take vestibular neuritis & labyrinthitis as the same?

Two inner ear conditions, Vestibular neuritis & labyrinthitis are often taken as one by many people. Both the inner ear conditions are quite similar as it is caused due to inflammation of inner ear nerves but hold slight differences too.

An inner ear condition where a person experiences inflammation in the vestibular nerve responsible for sending sensory signals to the brain to regulate body balance such a condition is known as Vestibular Neuritis. The inflamed nerve results in interrupting the signals thus making a person experience loss of equilibrium all of sudden.

Whereas when a person is experiencing inflammation in both the vestibular nerve and cochlear nerve that is responsible for maintaining body balance and hearing respectively, such a condition is known as labyrinthitis. A person suffering from such a condition experiences disturbance in hearing along with ringing sensations known as tinnitus.

What are the most common symptoms of Vestibular Neuritis?

Vestibular Neuritis symptoms appear suddenly and settle it within three to four weeks. The symptoms are most intense when they appear for the first time. A person may experience vestibular neuritis vertigo dizziness for several months if the case is intense.

It is not easy to live with such a condition as it may create hindrance in accomplishing daily chores. If the case is complex a person may even experience difficulty in simple walking or even bending or changing the position of the head as it may result in triggering the symptoms even further. We have listed some of the most common vestibular neuritis symptoms below:

Loss of equilibrium or dizziness
Sudden bouts of Vertigo spells
Difficulty in maintaining balance
Difficulty in concentration
Nausea & vomiting
Blurry vision

Experiencing any of the above-mentioned symptoms? If yes, seeking medical help is recommended. Consult an expert neurologist to get yourself diagnosed. An expert neurologist will prescribe you with right vestibular neuritis medication and suggest the best treatment for vestibular neuritis cure to prevent the symptoms from getting intense.

What are the causes of vestibular neuritis vertigo?

Mostly Vestibular Neuritis is caused due to a viral infection in the inner ear or other parts of the body. Measles, flu, mononucleosis, rubella, mumps, shingles, chickenpox are some of the common viral infections that result in causing vestibular neuritis in patients.

The symptoms of Vestibular Neuritis get triggered even further due to swelling caused by viruses around the vestibulocochlear nerve. In some very rare cases, bacterial infections lead to such a condition.

Tests and Vestibular Neuritis diagnosis

It is advised to seek medical attention as soon as you start experiencing any vestibular neuritis symptoms. Consult an expert neurologist to get yourself diagnosed. He will ask you to undergo various tests such as MRI scans, hearing tests, vestibular tests, Videonystagmography (VNG), Video Head Impulse Test (vHIT), to examine the condition closely and identify whether a part of the vestibular nerve is damaged or inflamed. He will even seek your complete medical history and closely monitor the cause of dizziness and spinning sensations to suggest the right vertigo treatment.

How is vestibular neuritis cured or treated?

Once you are diagnosed with vestibular neuritis caused due to viral or bacterial infection, the doctor will suggest a list of treatments depending upon the underlying cause and the severity of the condition for Vestibular neuritis cure. Here are some of the most common vestibular neuritis treatments prescribed by doctors:

Medications

Doctors generally prescribe vestibular neuritis medications such as Diphenhydramine, meclizine, lorazepam, diazepam to ease symptoms like dizziness and nausea. There are some patients of vestibular neuritis who experience excess vomiting and become dehydrated, IV fluids are suggested by doctors to such patients. If symptoms do not seem to ease after a dose of certain antibiotics even after a few weeks, vestibular rehabilitation therapy is recommended by doctors.

The vestibular rehabilitation therapy

If medication fails to alleviate symptoms, The vestibular rehabilitation therapy recommended by doctors. It is quite effective in treating vestibular neuritis. The therapy involves a set of exercises that are designed as per individual needs and problem areas. VRT exercises require gentle head and body movements that allow your brain to get adjusted to your balance changes. Practicing VRT exercises regularly helps in reducing the symptoms of vestibular neuritis. It is advised to perform these exercises in the presence of another person as you may feel slightly dizzy just after completing sets which will subside within a few seconds. Seeking expert guidance is a must for the right techniques and procedures.

Practicing vestibular neuritis exercises regularly for two to three times a day shows effective results and improvement in the condition. It helps in subsiding the symptoms completely. In some rare cases, patients may even experience occasional dizziness for several months. Keeping the body in movement in the recovery phase helps in regaining the balance quite quickly.

Suffering from Vestibular Neuritis? Or experiencing severe vertigo spells? Consult an expert neurologist to get yourself diagnosed and get the best treatment at the right time. It helps in alleviating symptoms within no time. Make health your priority and book your appointment today!