Can labyrinthitis be congenital?

Labyrinthitis can's & cant's?

• I’m on day three of having labyrinthitis and my doctor didn’t really give me any information, she gave me a sheet that she printed off the internet which while describing the illness was otherwise useless. All I want to know is what I can and can’t do, the symptoms range from mild (walking on a ship in rough seas dizeness) to the world spinning around. Can I go to work? (Im in front of a computer all day) Can I go to gym? (No running obviously) Can I go out for walks? Can I read, go on computer??? Any help would be great, thanks in advance.

• Answer:

  Hi, As you know Labyrinthitis is a virus of the inner ear and effects the balance mechanism of the inner ear. The extent to which this illness affects patients will vary greatly from person to person. And even day to day throughout the course of the illness. Some patients may only have minor symptoms, in which case they may be able to work, walk, sit in front of the computer, etc... Others will have symptoms so bad that they may be not be able to get out of bed for several days. Even within an attack the amount a patient is effected can vary a lot from day to day, week to week and so on. Its because of this great variation that explains why your doctor and the advisory sheet your doctor gave you doesn't give you a "Do's and Dont's" with this illness. Essentially you have to decide how you well or bad you feel. Do you feel well enough to go to work? Do you feel well enough to walk? If you do, then try it. If not, then don't. How you feel will vary throughout the illness. You don't say whether your doctor is prescribing medication, but Prochloperazine Maleate is very good for dealing with some of the effects of nausea and dizziness assoicated with Labyrinthitis. However, unfortunately, there is no medication you can take to cure you. Its simply a case of waiting for the illness to take its course. After time it will go away, though from experiance, you may well have further attacks intermittently throughout the rest of your life.