What Is Inner Ear Infection?
Inner ear infection is also known as labyrinthitis. The infection often alters your hearing and balance. Depending on how severe the infection is, labyrinthitis can be debilitating.
The inner ear is made up of the cochlea, which receives sound from the middle ear and transforms them into signals your brain can understand, and the vestibular system. The vestibular system includes the semicircular ducts that help you maintain balance. Labyrinth is the collective term for the cochlea and vestibular system.
An infection of the inner ear can be caused by either bacteria or a virus [1]. Viral infections are more common and the infections can spread to the nose and throat. If the virus is the flu or common cold, for example, this spread may cause cold symptoms. Bacterial inner ear infections are relatively rare. This type of infection is more likely to happen if the membrane leading to the inner ear is broken, allowing bacteria to cross into the inner ear.
You may experience symptoms like vertigo, ringing-like noise inside your ears (tinnitus), earaches, and hearing problems when you have labyrinthitis. In most cases, these symptoms will clear up by themselves within a few weeks. Sometimes the infection lasts up to six weeks. This article will discuss ways you can treat this infection.
Some medications can provide relief when you have an inner ear infection.