Can labyrinthitis be congenital?

What can i do for labyrinthitis?

• I was diagnosed last year while I was 8 months pregnant with labyrinthitis, there is no cure for viral labyrinthitis, but it can be managed with a few prescriptions. Is there anything I can do to help myself?? My family doesn't understand how hard this is for me, so there's no sense in complaining about it to them...

• Answer:

  Labyrinthitis is an inflammation of the inner ear.It derives its name from the labyrinths that house the vestibular system (which sense changes in head position). Labyrinthitis can cause balance disorders. In addition to balance control problems, a labyrinthitis patient may encounter hearing loss and tinnitus. Labyrinthitis is usually caused by a virus, but it can also arise from bacterial infection, head injury, extreme stress, an allergy or as a reaction to a particular medication. Both bacterial and viral labyrinthitis can cause permanent hearing loss, although this is rare. Labyrinthitis often follows an upper respiratory tract infection (URI). Recovery from acute labyrinthine inflammation generally takes from one to six weeks; however, it is not uncommon for residual symptoms (dysequilibrium and/or dizziness) to last for many months or even years if permanent damage occurs. Prochlorperazine is commonly prescribed to help alleviate the symptoms of vertigo and nausea. Because anxiety interferes with the balance compensation process, it is important to treat an anxiety disorder and/or depression as soon as possible to allow the brain to compensate for any vestibular damage. Acute anxiety can be treated in the short term with benzodiazepines such as diazepam (Valium); however, long-term use is not recommended because of the addictive nature of benzodiazepines and the interference they may cause with vestibular compensation and adaptive plasticity. Evidence suggests that selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors may be more effective in treating labyrinthitis. They act by relieving anxiety symptoms and may stimulate new neural growth within the inner ear, allowing more rapid vestibular compensation to occur. Trials have shown that SSRIs do in fact affect the vestibular system in a direct manner and can decrease dizziness. Some evidence suggests that viral labyrinthitis should be treated in its early stages with corticosteroids such as prednisone, and possibly antiviral medication such as valacyclovir and that this treatment should be undertaken as soon as possible to prevent permanent damage to the inner ear. Vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT) is a highly effective way to substantially reduce or eliminate residual dizziness from labyrinthitis. VRT works by causing the brain to use already existing neural mechanisms for adaptation, plasticity, and compensation. The direction, duration, frequency, and magnitude of the directed exercises are closely correlated with adaptation and recovery. Symmetry is more rapidly restored when VRT exercises are specifically tailored for the patient. One study found that patients who believed their illness was out of their control showed the slowest progression to full recovery, long after the initial vestibular injury had healed. The study revealed that the patient who compensated well was one who, at the psychological level, was not afraid of the symptoms and had some positive control over them. Notably, a reduction in negative beliefs over time was greater in those patients treated with rehabilitation than in those untreated. "Of utmost importance, baseline beliefs were the only significant predictor of change in handicap at 6 months followup." Recovery from a permanently damaged inner ear typically follows three phases: 1.An acute period, which may include severe vertigo and vomiting 2.approximately two weeks of subacute symptoms and rapid recovery 3.finally a period of chronic compensation which may last for months or years.