Labyrinthitis, it’s not always the fault of a virus

Dizziness can be a symptom of inflammation of the inner ear, but it is not said that the cause is a microorganism. Trauma, stress, medications and other external agents can also seriously compromise balance.

The ear, you know, is not just for hearing. This organ, in fact, also regulates the sense of balance, so much so that labyrinthitis, an inflammation of the inner ear (in particular, of the labyrinth) causes both a decrease in hearing and dizziness.

Less clear is what this type of disorder comes from, which can be caused either by infections at the ear level, or by diseases affecting other organs or by external agents such as trauma, drugs or allergens.

In all cases, intervening as soon as possible is important to prevent the situation from degenerating into serious hearing loss and compromising everyday life due to the inability to maintain balance.

The main causes

Labyrinthitis can be associated with the presence of a purulent infection in the middle ear, but there is no shortage of cases when microbes reach the labyrinth through the blood in the course of an infection of the upper airways or nerve tissues.

Among the main causes are some viruses, especially herpes. It is a microorganism that takes advantage of the lowering of the body’s immune defenses to take over.

Influenza and parainfluenza viruses, mumps, chickenpox, rubella or measles viruses can also trigger irritation of the balance centers.

Not to mention bacterial infections. Streptococci, staphylococci, Moraxella catarrhalis, Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria meningitidis, Escherichia coli and Mycobacterium tuberculosis are the main culprits of disorders of this type.

In all these cases the disease can be treated using antibiotics or antivirals, often associated with antihistamines or anxiolytics that allow you to keep under control symptoms ranging from nausea to anxiety, up to real panic attacks.

Non-bacterial or viral causes

However, there are also cases in which labyrinthitis is caused neither by a virus nor by a bacterium. Head or neck trauma, severe stress, allergies, gastric acidity and adverse drug reactions can also seriously inflame the inner ear.

If, for example, acid gases from the digestive system reach the labyrinth, they can irritate it, causing the typical disorders of this disease.

In such a situation, it is essential to eliminate gastric or intestinal acidity in order to decrease inflammation.

Among the external agents, there are drugs defined as ototoxic precisely because they can damage the ear. Such as some antibiotics and diuretics.

Abuse of smoking, alcohol or caffeinated beverages are also risk factors. Since these are stimulants, they can seriously compromise the centers of balance.

Finally, allergies and strong emotional stress can cause an alteration of the immune system that can facilitate infection of the maze. In all these cases, the elimination of the external risk factor is the first step towards healing.