Common Vestibular Disorders

1.Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) : This is the most common cause of positional vertigo, a sudden feeling that you’re spinning or swaying. It happens when tiny calcium crystals in one part of your ear move into an area where they shouldn’t be. This causes your inner ear to tell your brain you’re moving when you’re really not.

BPPV can be treated through a series of head movements your doctor guides you through. These put the crystals back where they're supposed to be.

2.Labyrinthitis : You might know this as an inner ear infection. It happens when a fragile structure deep inside your ear known as a labyrinth gets inflamed. This affects not just your balance and hearing, but you also may have ear pain, pressure, pus or fluid coming from your ear, nausea, and a high fever.

If your labyrinthitis is caused by a bacterial infection, you may need to take antibiotics. Your doctor also might recommend steroids to help bring down inflammation or another kind of drug known as an antiemetic to help with vomiting and dizziness.

3.Vestibular neuritis : A viral infection somewhere else in your body, such as chickenpox or measles, can bring on this disorder that affects the nerve that sends sound and balance information from your inner ear to your brain. The most common symptoms are sudden dizziness with nausea, vomiting, and trouble walking.

To treat vestibular neuritis, your doctor may give you medicine to wipe out the virus that’s causing it.

4.Meniere's disease : People with this disorder have sudden attacks of vertigo, tinnitus (a ringing, buzzing, or roaring sound in their ears), hearing loss, and a feeling of fullness in the affected ear. This may be caused by too much fluid in the inner ear, thanks to a virus, allergy, or autoimmune reaction. The hearing loss gets worse over time and can be permanent in some cases.

Some lifestyle changes can help - like cutting down on salt, caffeine, and alcohol -- and medication can ease attacks when they happen. In rare cases, people need surgery to relieve their symptoms. Parts of the affected inner ear are cut or removed so they stop sending the wrong balance signals to your brain.

5.Perilymphatic fistula (PLF) : This is a tear or defect between your middle ear and fluid-filled inner ear that can make you feel dizzy and may cause some hearing loss. You can be born with PLF, or it can be caused by barotrauma (increased pressure in your ear), a head injury, or heavy lifting.

Surgery can help repair perilymph fistulas. Openings or tears can be plugged with tissue taken from the outer part of your ear.

Other Inner ear Disorders

6.Acoustic neuroma : This tumor in your inner ear isn’t cancerous and grows slowly, but it can squeeze the nerves that control your hearing and balance. That leads to hearing loss, ringing in your ear, and dizziness. In some cases, a neuroma can press against your facial nerve and cause that side of your face to feel numb.

An acoustic neuroma can be taken out with surgery, or your doctor might treat it with radiation to stop it from growing.

7.Ototoxicity : Some drugs and chemicals can damage your inner ear. Others attack the nerve that connects your inner ear to your brain. Either can cause hearing loss. Sometimes, this gets better when you stop taking the drug or stay away from the chemical. In other cases, the damage can be permanent.

8.Enlarged vestibular aqueducts (EVA) : The narrow, bony canals that go from your inner ear to the inside of your skull are called vestibular aqueducts. If these get larger than they should be, you can lose your hearing. The causes of EVA aren’t clear, but they seem to be linked to certain genes you can get from your parents.

There’s no proven treatment for EVA. The best ways to safeguard your hearing is to avoid contact sports or anything that can lead to a head injury, and stay away from fast changes in pressure, like the kind that happens with scuba diving.

9.Vestibular migraine : If your brain sends the wrong signals to your balance system, that can lead to a severe headache, dizziness, sensitivity to light or sound, hearing loss, and ringing in your ears. Some people also say they get blurred vision.

If you have vestibular migraines often, your doctor may give you a drug to prevent them. Many medications, including some antidepressants, and calcium channel blockers (which relax your blood vessels), can help.

10.Mal de debarquement : When you move in a way you never have before, like on a boat, your brain adapts to the feeling. But sometimes, it can get “stuck” in the new motion, and you may feel off balance, like you’re rocking or swaying, even after you've stopped moving. This usually gets better in a few hours but sometimes symptoms can persist for weeks or even years.

You may experience other symptoms including a staggering walk, trouble focusing or feeling fatigue. There’s no cure, but you may be able to manage symptoms with medications and vestibular rehabilitation.

SYMPTOMS

• Dizziness
• Spinning sensation
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Problems with balance or walking
• Hearing loss
• Earache or ear pain
• Ringing in the ear (tinnitus)

CAUSES

• change in pressure, such as when flying on a plane
• earwax buildupa foreign object in the ear
• a foreign object in the ear
• strep throat
• sinus infection
• shampoo or water trapped in the ear
• use of cotton swabs in the ear
• temporomandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome
• perforated eardrum
• arthritis affecting the jaw
• infected tooth
• impacted tooth
• eczema in the ear canal
• trigeminal neuralgia (chronic facial nerve pain)
• temporomandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome
• perforated eardrum
• arthritis affecting the jaw
• infected tooth
• impacted tooth
• eczema in the ear canal
• trigeminal neuralgia (chronic facial nerve pain)

RISK FACTORS

• Age. Children between the ages of 6 months and 2 years are more susceptible to ear problems because of the size and shape of their eustachian tubes and because their immune systems are still developing.
• Group child care. Children cared for in group settings are more likely to get colds and ear infections than are children who stay home. The children in group settings are exposed to more infections, such as the common cold.
• Infant feeding. Babies who drink from a bottle, especially while lying down, tend to have more ear problems than do babies who are breast-fed.
• Seasonal factors. Ear infections are most common during the fall and winter. People with seasonal allergies may have a greater risk of ear infections when pollen counts are high.
• Poor air quality. Exposure to tobacco smoke or high levels of air pollution can increase the risk of ear problems.
• Alaska Native heritag Ear problems are more common among Alaska Natives.
• Cleft palate. Differences in the bone structure and muscles in children who have cleft palates may make it more difficult for the eustachian tube to drain.

COMPLICATIONS

Inner Ear disorder that happen again and again can lead to serious complications:

• Impaired hearing. Mild hearing loss that comes and goes is fairly common with an ear infection, but it usually gets better after the infection clears. Ear infections that happen again and again, or fluid in the middle ear, may lead to more-significant hearing loss. If there is some permanent damage to the eardrum or other middle ear structures, permanent hearing loss may occur.
• Speech or developmental delays. If hearing is temporarily or permanently impaired in infants and toddlers, they may experience delays in speech, social and developmental skills.
• Spread of infection. Untreated infections or infections that don't respond well to treatment can spread to nearby tissues. Infection of the mastoid, the bony protrusion behind the ear, is called mastoiditis. This infection can result in damage to the bone and the formation of pus-filled cysts. Rarely, serious middle ear infections spread to other tissues in the skull, including the brain or the membranes surrounding the brain (meningitis).
• Tearing of the eardrum. Most eardrum tears heal within 72 hours. In some cases, surgical repair is needed.

PREVENTION

Self-management of inner ear problems, particularly earache and ear discharge, is not recommended. However, the following tips may help prevent ear problems.

• Do not use cotton buds or other devices for cleaning your ears. Repeated attempts to remove earwax with a cotton bud or similar object may result in the wax becoming more deeply impacted.
• If you have a swimmer's ear, you should use earplugs to help prevent water entering your ears.
• If you are working in a noisy environment, including a home environment, use ear protectors.
• Blow your nose correctly. Do not squeeze the nose when blowing and do not sniff.

It is important that you get any hearing loss checked.

DIAGNOSIS

• The doctor will likely use a lighted instrument (an otoscope) to look at the ears, throat and nasal passage. He or she will also likely listen to your child breathe with a stethoscope.
• Pneumatic otoscope- This instrument enables the doctor to look in the ear and judge whether there is fluid behind the eardrum.

Additional tests

Your doctor may perform other tests if there is any doubt about a diagnosis, if the condition hasn't responded to previous treatments, or if there are other long-term or serious problems.

• Tympanometry. This test measures the movement of the eardrum.
• Acoustic reflectometry. This test measures how much sound is reflected back from the eardrum — an indirect measure of fluids in the middle ear.
• Tympanocentesis. Rarely, a doctor may use a tiny tube that pierces the eardrum to drain fluid from the middle ear — a procedure called tympanocentesis. The fluid is tested for viruses and bacteria. This can be helpful if an infection hasn't responded well to previous treatments.
• Other tests. If your child has had multiple ear infections or fluid buildup in the middle ear, your doctor may refer you to a hearing specialist (audiologist), speech therapist or developmental therapist for tests of hearing, speech skills, language comprehension or developmental abilities.

TREATMENT

1.Pain Relief-If a virus or bacteria is causing the infection and you have to wait for it to get better, you don’t need to live with the pain.

Your doctor may recommend a pain reliever, typically acetaminophen or ibuprofen, which also helps reduce a fever. Pain can also be reduced by using low heat from a heating pad.

2.Antibiotics-If your doctor decides to go with antibiotics, follow all the instructions. Take all of the doses even if you or your child are feeling better.If you don’t take the whole course, your infection could come back and become resistant to more treatments.

3.Drainage-If an infection causes serious complications, fluid remains in the ear for a long time, or your child has ear infections that keep coming back, your doctor might want to do a procedure called a myringotomy.She creates a small hole in the eardrum so fluids such as water, blood, or pus can drain out. In many cases, she will put in a tube so it won’t get backed up again.

The tube, which will usually fall out on its own in about 6 to 18 months, lets the fluid out and air flow through to keep the middle ear dry. Tubes also:

• Reduce pain
• Improve hearing
• Cut down on the number of infections your child may have.

4.Natural Remedies

You can do things at home to ease your symptoms. Talk to your doctor first about these tips:

• Warmth You may find a heated compress brings comfort.
• Feedings If you feed your baby with a bottle, do it standing up. Don’t put your infant to bed with one. Try to take your child off it as soon as the doctor thinks he’s ready.
• Gargling In older children or adults, salt water helps soothe a raw throat and may help clear the Eustachian tubes.
• Stand tall Holding your head erect can help drain your middle ear.
• Fresh ai Smokers should refrain from smoking inside the house or anywhere near your child.

EFFECTIVENESS OF ACUPUNCTURE TREATMENT:

Acupuncture points stimulate the central nervous system to release biochemical into muscles, the spinal cord and the brain. These biochemical can affect, for example, the experience of pain and/or release of other biochemical, such as hormones, that influence the body’s self-regulating systems.Acupuncture affects immunological function in two directions: either strengthening the weak responses; or in cases of over-expressive responses regulating or inhibiting the over activities.Acupuncture also increases blood flow to organs.Several experimental research studies demonstrated the positive influence of acupuncture on chronic inflammation.All these effects, and probably many more, contributed to the reduction of inner ear disorder.

MECHANISM OF ACUPUNCTURE

Acupuncture therapy successfully manages chronic ear problems. The chronic otitis externa was related to Damp-Heat in the Gallbladder meridian and an underlying Spleen Qi deficiency. Using acupuncture points to tonify the Spleen and expel the Damp-Heat from the Gallbladder greatly reduces the clinical symptoms of the otitis externa and is helping to manage the chronic inflammation.

BEST CURE FOR INNER EAR DISORDER

Looking for the best relief for all inner ear disorders in Chennai, here’s why you should reach out to the expert Acupuncturist. A. Shaji Bharath from the best rated clinic Dr.Bharath’s Acu Heal. He is currently treating patients for a wide range of conditions. As a best acupuncture practitioner with 15 years of experience, and having worked with several otolaryngologists and neurologists, Acupuncturist. A. Shaji Bharath can create the treatment plan for the best cure for all ear problems to manage the condition that's tailored to your needs, which can break a cycle of long-lasting pain and discomfort in the ear. As the top acupuncture doctor in Chennai he has witnessed acupuncture doing wonders for people suffering from ear problems. The effectiveness rate increases several times just with one course of Acupuncture. So, take some time to find the right pain management and best remedy for acupuncture approach that suits you. Most of the people swear by acupuncture, citing it as a best cure and a ‘miracle’ to improving their quality of life. To contact the top acupuncture doctor in Chennai, Dial: +91 9884746916 or Visit: drbharathsacuheal.com for more details.

BEST ACUPUNCTURE DOCTOR NEAR ME

To choose the Best doctor for Acupuncture, it's important that the Acupuncturist should have a decade of experience and treated at least 1000 to 2000 patients.

You can also search for the Best Acupuncture Doctor near me or ask your primary care physician to refer an experienced Acupuncturist nearby. Once you find the Best Acupuncture Doctor in Chennai, you may go through their google reviews first and then fix an appointment with the doctor only when you are satisfied with the reviews.

The Best Acupuncture Doctor should address your concerns and help you feel more comfortable before your first session. Acupuncture usually takes numerous sessions or several weeks to get a complete cure in any ailment but within 3 or 4 sessions the patients will experience positive differences.

BEST ACUPUNCTURE CLINIC NEAR ME

There are numerous clinics popping up and it is sometimes skeptical to choose the best or even the safe one. To address such concerns, you can look into the following points to choose the best acupuncture clinic for treating all inner ear disorders. Acupuncture is also offered in hospital pain clinics and by healthcare organizations but it is ideal to visit the best Acupuncture Clinic. If you are not sure, it would be a good idea to contact your local doctor to see if they would be prepared to refer to the best rated acupuncture clinics.Acupuncture is offered in top rated acupuncture clinics near me because conventional treatment has failed or produces unacceptable side effects. Most of the best acupuncture clinics will spell out very clearly what type of acupuncture they practice and how professional they are - at present anyone can set themselves up as an acupuncturist but reputable practitioners will belong to an organization. So while you are filtering the best clinics for acupuncture that treats inner ear disorder, you can look out for these factors.Treatment without surgery for all inner ear disorders is possible through Acupuncture and it gives the best result.

We have been rewarded a 5-star rating from Google & Practo. You can also check the reviews there.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Even though there’s no cure for many inner ear disorders, there are many strategies you might want to consider to reduce your symptoms. In most people, spontaneous remission is common, although it can take years. Dr.Bharat gives the best remedy for all your inner ear disorders. Dial: +91 9884746916 or Visit: drbharathsacuheal.com for more details.

SCIENTIFIC REFERENCES

• Hansen PE, Hansen JH, Bentzen O. Acupuncture treatment of chronic unilateral tinnitus--a double-blind cross-over trial. Clin Otolaryngol Allied Sci. 1982;7(5):325–9.
• de Azevedo RF, Chiari BM, Okada DM, Onishi ET. Impact of acupuncture on otoacoustic emissions in patients with tinnitus. Braz J Otorhinolaryngol. 2007;73(5):599–607.
• Podoshin L, Ben-David Y, Fradis M, Gerstel R, Felner H. Idiopathic subjective tinnitus treated by biofeedback, acupuncture and drug therapy. Ear Nose Throat J. 1991;70(5):284–9.

Related Articles

TREATMENT FOR EAR PROBLEMS

Evaluating the feasibility effect of acupuncture for ear problems. Talk to our acupuncturist to know more.

TREATMENT FOR EYE PROBLEMS

Evaluating the feasibility effect of acupuncture for eye problems. Talk to our acupuncturist to know more.

FAQ:

What are the services provided for inner ear disorder by Dr. Bharath’s Acu Heal?

Inner ear disorders like labyrinthitis, Meniere's, tinnitus, vestibular migraine, vertigo cause dizziness, spinning sensation, nausea, vomiting, the problem with balancing or walking, loss of hearing, ringing in the ear (tinnitus) can be treated and cured partially or completely through Acupuncture.

What are the benefits of acupuncture for inner ear disorder?

This is a drugless therapy and there are no side effects. After completing the course of treatment any form of medication can be stopped.

How many sessions do you need for inner ear disorder?

It takes around 30 to 40 sessions in a period of 4 to 5 months.