Labyrnthitis...inner ear infection
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Labyrnthitis...inner ear infection
Hello gentlemen/ladies,I have been suffering from labyrnthitis for the past ten weeks. sometimes I have a slight ringing in my left ear but the main problem is my loss of balance. If I move suddenly then it 's very easy for me to fall over. Even turning over in my sleep makes me feel like i'm falling. Does anybody else suffer from this or gone through this before. My doctor said it can take 9-15 weeks for this to subside. I'd like to hear from anybody who knows anything about this disorder. Thank you 
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I've got the same symptoms but it turns out mine is probably due to falling over and hitting my head a few weeks back, something called 'Post Concussion Syndrome'. It's a real pain but I'm told it will get better. Had to stop driving for a while though. I
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Two chaps in our airline have had this viral condition over the past twelve months. One is now back at work - the other will be shortly. Obviously knowing which way is up is important in our line of work so the CAA were very thorough in ensuring they were 'cured'.
Basically, as I understand it, the virus causes a thickening of the fluids in the innere ear which prevent the balance system from working - sending false signals to the brain - like having a spirit level bubble suspended in treacle is how it was explained to me.
Suggest you look at a medical website for an exact description of the condition. Try:
Web MD
Suffering from it certainly will cause a loss of medical certificate - for more than six months in the case of the two blokes I know.
Good Luck
[ 16 November 2001: Message edited by: Capt. Horrendous ]
Basically, as I understand it, the virus causes a thickening of the fluids in the innere ear which prevent the balance system from working - sending false signals to the brain - like having a spirit level bubble suspended in treacle is how it was explained to me.
Suggest you look at a medical website for an exact description of the condition. Try:
Web MD
Suffering from it certainly will cause a loss of medical certificate - for more than six months in the case of the two blokes I know.
Good Luck
[ 16 November 2001: Message edited by: Capt. Horrendous ]
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Hello FL450,
A collegae of me also has ringing in the left ear, but he does not suffer from balance problems (yet), could it be the same illness?? Or is he just suffering from the deafening air rush at the other side of the window??
Greetz,QTA
A collegae of me also has ringing in the left ear, but he does not suffer from balance problems (yet), could it be the same illness?? Or is he just suffering from the deafening air rush at the other side of the window??
Greetz,QTA
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Flt450
Yes - I suffered this condition while in the RAF many moons ago. It began without warning one morning when I got out of bed and fell over (without indulging the night before). I tried to go to the bathroom ..fell over. Tried to stand up...fell over. The entire world was spinning. I became a medical emergency and fortunately don't remember too much of the admission process. I was admitted to RAF Halton and had to be restrained in bed with straps because the condition was so wild without the straps I would almost roll out of bed. With sedation, bed rest and sleep I recovered in 10 days back to "normal" and ::touching wood:: have not had a recurrence since. This was 20yrs ago .. I am no longer in RAF but still have no ear or balance problems.
Hope this helps.
Yes - I suffered this condition while in the RAF many moons ago. It began without warning one morning when I got out of bed and fell over (without indulging the night before). I tried to go to the bathroom ..fell over. Tried to stand up...fell over. The entire world was spinning. I became a medical emergency and fortunately don't remember too much of the admission process. I was admitted to RAF Halton and had to be restrained in bed with straps because the condition was so wild without the straps I would almost roll out of bed. With sedation, bed rest and sleep I recovered in 10 days back to "normal" and ::touching wood:: have not had a recurrence since. This was 20yrs ago .. I am no longer in RAF but still have no ear or balance problems.
Hope this helps.
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If there is associated tinnitus, a feeling of fullness in the ear, some hearing loss, plus the balance/nausea problems, or a combination of these, then Meniere's Disease should also be considered.
M.
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As long as I could remember I always suffered from a blocked nose. When I started flying regularly in a pressurised aircraft things started getting worse. On descent my ears used to get blocked and remain blocked for days. By the time my ears cleared I was scheduled for another flight so you can imagine what a miserable time I was passing through. One fine day after a flight I got extrememly dizzy, very similar to what has been described above, with a loud buzzing noise in my right ear making hearing very difficult. This was confirmed by an audiogram which showed a significant amount of hearing loss. Meniere's disease was not ruled out. However on further investigation they found out that all my problems were coming from my nose. Adenoids were blocking my eustachian tube making pressurisation of my ears very difficult. The buzzing noise I was hearing was due to mucus pressing on my ear drums. After doing an operation to clear up my nose my hearing has come back to normal with no problems during climb or descent. Check out for any allergies, such as house dust mites etc. You will be amazed what consequences they might have.
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Hi all
The symptom of true rotational (in any axis)dizziness is termed vertigo, to distinguish it from the 'light headedness' that occurs, for instance if one stands up quickly while dehydrated, or if prone to fainting. Hearing noise (buzzing) in your ear is termed tinnitus.
Presuming that one has true vertigo, there are several possible diagnoses. Note that virtually no general practitioner or general internist for you yankees understands this field. As some of these things are treatable and will cause real problems flying if not frankly making it unsafe get good specialist help, and if not satisfied get another opinion (and no i'm not out to make a buck: second opinion always takes longer than it's worth). Basically see an ENT with an interest in ears or a neurologist with an interest in balance.
Possible diagnoses:
1. "Labyrinthitis". I put this in quote marks because it actually lumps several different pathological processes together. Vertigo without tinnitus is usual. Sudden onset and wears off slowly. Vertigo is present (albeit less) even without head movement. Depending on the pathology, the degree of balance perception lost in that ear may be a large component of the available signal, and may be permanent. The brain perceives the imbalance in signal from the two ears as movement (note their is a constant signal even at rest) and so you perceive spinning. As I said it may be permanent. Over time the brain resets itself to accommodate that loss. I tell my patients who have not recovered inner ear function after 24 hours (it can be bedside tested) to expect 1 week of feeling unwell, 1 month of feeling unsteady with simple things, and 1 year with tough dynamic situations (i.e flying or running over rough ground at night). However there are balance retraining exercises available that can accelerate recovery.
2. Middle ear trouble: typically hearing problems are more protracted than balance problems, although people are more affected by the balance issue. Usually a popping and fluctuant nature, often with a 'sinus' history
3. Meniere's disease. A combination of episodic vertigo and tinnitus, with long term hearing loss and balance disturbance. Often has fullness in the ear but I find this a poor discriminator. Episodes last for hours. Not a great thing for a pilot but it can sometimes be treated with medications that do not affect a medical.
4. Benign Paroxysmal Positioning Vertigo (BPPV). Much more common than most doctors think. Vertigo occurs after head movement in particular positions. Attacks of vertigo should subside within a minute or two of keeping your head upright and still, although the nausea lasts longer. Caused by bits getting lose in the inner ear. EASILY FIXABLE: involves 15min rolling the patient around then various sleeping positions for a week. May occur after head trauma (so called post concussion). Make sure this has been considered given how easy it is to fix. May also remit spontaneously.
5. People with classical migraine can get vertigo without headache sometimes.
6. The other rare stuff and the no idea cases.
Additional stuff.
Non-pulsatile tinnitus without vertigo often has an industrial noise component. Get the best head set and also musicians plugs you can get if affected, before you lose your medical.
Note that I'm not a DAME and you should get professional advice. If the moderator doesn't mind I can recommend people other than myself in Sydney, and if really pushed can ask for names elsewhere in Aust and England.
The symptom of true rotational (in any axis)dizziness is termed vertigo, to distinguish it from the 'light headedness' that occurs, for instance if one stands up quickly while dehydrated, or if prone to fainting. Hearing noise (buzzing) in your ear is termed tinnitus.
Presuming that one has true vertigo, there are several possible diagnoses. Note that virtually no general practitioner or general internist for you yankees understands this field. As some of these things are treatable and will cause real problems flying if not frankly making it unsafe get good specialist help, and if not satisfied get another opinion (and no i'm not out to make a buck: second opinion always takes longer than it's worth). Basically see an ENT with an interest in ears or a neurologist with an interest in balance.
Possible diagnoses:
1. "Labyrinthitis". I put this in quote marks because it actually lumps several different pathological processes together. Vertigo without tinnitus is usual. Sudden onset and wears off slowly. Vertigo is present (albeit less) even without head movement. Depending on the pathology, the degree of balance perception lost in that ear may be a large component of the available signal, and may be permanent. The brain perceives the imbalance in signal from the two ears as movement (note their is a constant signal even at rest) and so you perceive spinning. As I said it may be permanent. Over time the brain resets itself to accommodate that loss. I tell my patients who have not recovered inner ear function after 24 hours (it can be bedside tested) to expect 1 week of feeling unwell, 1 month of feeling unsteady with simple things, and 1 year with tough dynamic situations (i.e flying or running over rough ground at night). However there are balance retraining exercises available that can accelerate recovery.
2. Middle ear trouble: typically hearing problems are more protracted than balance problems, although people are more affected by the balance issue. Usually a popping and fluctuant nature, often with a 'sinus' history
3. Meniere's disease. A combination of episodic vertigo and tinnitus, with long term hearing loss and balance disturbance. Often has fullness in the ear but I find this a poor discriminator. Episodes last for hours. Not a great thing for a pilot but it can sometimes be treated with medications that do not affect a medical.
4. Benign Paroxysmal Positioning Vertigo (BPPV). Much more common than most doctors think. Vertigo occurs after head movement in particular positions. Attacks of vertigo should subside within a minute or two of keeping your head upright and still, although the nausea lasts longer. Caused by bits getting lose in the inner ear. EASILY FIXABLE: involves 15min rolling the patient around then various sleeping positions for a week. May occur after head trauma (so called post concussion). Make sure this has been considered given how easy it is to fix. May also remit spontaneously.
5. People with classical migraine can get vertigo without headache sometimes.
6. The other rare stuff and the no idea cases.
Additional stuff.
Non-pulsatile tinnitus without vertigo often has an industrial noise component. Get the best head set and also musicians plugs you can get if affected, before you lose your medical.
Note that I'm not a DAME and you should get professional advice. If the moderator doesn't mind I can recommend people other than myself in Sydney, and if really pushed can ask for names elsewhere in Aust and England.
