Hello!
Hello,
I hope you can help find an answer to a question I have about the possibility of an infection.
I have been suffering from dizziness, tinnitus, and nausea, among other symptoms for about a year. I have been to an ENT, who has been treating me for Meniere's, but my mother is wondering if I have an "inner ear" infection. I don't see much about infections of this sort, just mostly about the outer ear or middle ear. Is an inner ear infection possible, and if so, what would the symptoms be?
Thank you for taking the time to answer,
Reply: ----------------------
Based on your description of having suffered symptoms of dizziness, nausea, and tinnitus for over a year, it is fairly safe to conclude that you do not have an "inner ear infection."
Inner ear infections (labyrinthitis or vestibular neuronitis) are acute illnesses in which there is sudden development of severe (usually incapacitating) whirling vertigo, accompanied by nausea and vomiting. The acute onset and severity of the condition frequently triggers a trip to the emergency room. Often intravenous fluids and sedatives are required in the initial phase of the condition after the diagnosis is made and this occasionally will necessitate a brief period of hospitalization particularly when it occurs in the elderly. The classic pattern of such illnesses involves 1-3 days of severe bedridden type symptoms followed by a variable period (several weeks) of dysequilibrium before eventually completely resolving.
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Steve Dankle, MD
Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Milwaukee, Wis
NOTICE: OFCN is not engaged in the rendering of professional medical services. The information contained on this system or any other OFCN system should not supplant individual professional consultation. It is offered exclusively as a community education service. Advice on individual problems must be obtained directly from a professional.
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