Labyrinthitis Tinnitus Treatments

Ear infections.  Who hasn’t had one at some time or another?  Most of the time, they go away easily or we go to the doctor and are treated for them.  Piece of cake, right?  All is well and good.  Except that sometimes it isn’t.  Sometimes viral or bacterial infections of the inner ear can lead to labyrinthitis.  In some cases, this causes tinnitus.  In any case you will probably want to go in for labyrinthitis tinnitus treatments.

This disorder is caused by a disturbance of the vestibular system, namely the labyrinth of the ear.  This is a system of cavities and canals that are in the inner ear.  This results in vertigo, nausea, and vomiting.  It can also lead to hearing changes like tinnitus and hearing loss.  Labyrinthitis tinnitus treatments can alleviate some of these symptoms until the situation gets better, and it usually does in a few weeks.

The first part of labyrintitus tinnitus treatment is when the doctor does a physical examination.  The doctor will check for hearing loss in a number of ways.  These include using a tuning fork and rubbing fingers together farther and farther from the person’s ears to see how far away they can hear.  These methods will help to determine a persons hearing abilities. 

Next, the doctor looks at the tympanic membrane, and then at the cranial nerve to see that everything is in working order.  If it is, the doctor proceeds to tests of balance and vertigo.  Then, he or she will ask the patient about any symptoms of tinnitus being noticed.  With all this information, the labyrinthitis treatment can really begin.

If it is caused by an ear infection, then clearing up the infection usually resolves the labyrinthitis and tinnitus problems.  Treatment in these cases is minimal.  The first order of business is to get rid of the infection.  If the infection is viral, antibiotics won’t work, but if the infection is bacterial, they are the first line of defense in labyrinthitis tinnitus treatment.

The tinnitus will probably clear up on its own once it has run its course.  The vertigo and nausea may need to be treated in the meantime.  This labyrinthitis tinnitus treatment is done with medications.  Some of these are classed as antihistamines, anti-emetics, anti-vertigo, and sedative drugs.  Some of the drugs used are Antivert, which works on the vestibular apparatus in the middle ear; Dramamine, which depresses the function of the labyrinthine system; Valium, which depresses the entire central nervous system; and Compazine, an anti-emetic which is used in severe cases of nausea and vomiting .  These medications should not be used in most cases for more than a couple of weeks.  That is usually all the time that is required. 

While there are labyrinthitis tinnitus treatments for long-lasting labyrinthitis, such as is caused by an inner ear nerve disorder, usually the treatment is to just wait.  It is not easy to do when the sounds coming from your ears are especially bothersome.