

They may choose to treat severe hearing loss with a cochlear implant.Ī cochlear implant is a small electrical device that does not cure deafness but helps deaf people have a useful representation of sounds to help them better understand speech. Recent research suggests that cochlear implantation surgery can be a successful treatment option for those who have experienced cochlear ossification.īecause of the risk of deafness, a doctor will often carry out a hearing test in young children who have recovered from bacterial labyrinthitis. This occurs when bone begins to replace the lymph fluids filling the cochlea of the inner ear after a surgery or infection. Around 20% of children with bacterial meningitis develop hearing problems or issues with balance and dizziness.Ĭochlear ossification can also be an issue in children after meningitis. They are much less common in children when compared with middle ear infections.Ĭhildren may develop an inner ear infection as a result of having bacterial meningitis. Inner ear infections are most common among people aged 30–60 years. However, on some rare occasions, it can take weeks or months for the symptoms to disappear entirely. After this period, the symptoms often disappear with no intervention necessary.

This condition usually lasts for several days. They are often constant and tend to worsen with head movements. Vestibular neuritis symptoms often develop within hours and peak within the first 1–2 days. Vestibular neuritisĪ person who has vestibular neuritis may experience some of the following symptoms: However, if the problem lasts for a longer period of time, the person may require treatment for their symptoms. They often disappear on their own after 1–2 weeks. These symptoms may last for several days and be quite severe. Common symptoms of labyrinthitis include: Labyrinthitis symptoms can appear suddenly and without warning. Learn more about symptoms in the sections below.

The main difference between the symptoms is that hearing loss occurs with labyrinthitis but not with vestibular neuritis. The different types of inner ear infections often have similar symptoms. It can also be a sequela, which is a condition that arises as the consequence of a previous disease or injury. According to an older article from 2009, the reactivation of a herpes simplex virus is a likely cause of vestibular neuritis.ĭoctors consider vestibular neuritis to be a benign condition that tends to last for a short period of time before going away without treatment. This infection often comes before or alongside a viral infection. Vestibular neuritis causes this nerve to become inflamed, which can cause symptoms such as vertigo and nausea. This nerve sits in the inner ear and plays a role in detecting balance by sending signals from the inner ear to the brain. Vestibular neuritis is an infection of the vestibular nerve. In some instances, a bacterial infection can cause labyrinthitis. Labyrinthitis often follows more common illnesses, such as a common cold or the flu. It is also twice as common in females as in males. Viral labyrinthitis is most common in adults aged 30–60 years. Viral infections are the most common causes of labyrinthitis. It is this disruption that can cause some of the symptoms of labyrinthitis. This inflammation can disrupt the transmission of sensory information from the inner ear to the brain. It causes inflammation of the labyrinth, which is the maze of fluid-filled channels in the inner ear. Labyrinthitis is a viral or bacterial infection of the inner ear. The following sections will look at these in more detail. There are two main types of inner ear infections: labyrinthitis and vestibular neuritis. Share on Pinterest FatCamera/Getty Images
