Paraphrasing the great Salvador Dali, we can say that the ears are the most perfect part of the human head. Anatomically, the ear consists of three parts - outer, middle and inner. The last component is the most complex part of the auditory system, which is called the membranous labyrinth. And the inflammatory process in the inner ear is labyrinthitis.
Symptoms of inflammation of the inner ear
The direct cause of inflammation of the inner ear is pathogenic flora - viral or bacterial agents. As a rule, labyrinthitis is a complication of advanced otitis media or a severe general infectious disease. Only inflammation of the inner ear gives more explicit symptoms:
- permanent paroxysmal dizziness (can be combined with nausea and vomiting) – there is an illusion of rotation of surrounding objects;
- intermittent noise in the ears - tinnitus;
- pronounced pain syndrome (with purulent form);
- tremor of the eyes (nystagmus);
- different degrees of deafness;
- loss of balance, unsteady gait.
Medical practice uses several classifications of labyrinthitis based on different criteria. According to the severity of the symptoms, acute and chronic inflammation of the inner ear are distinguished. According to the place of localization - limited and diffuse forms. Structural changes determine the type of inflammation:
- serous;
- purulent;
- necrotic.
Treatment of inflammation of the inner ear
Otolaryngological practice offers several methods in the treatment of inflammation of the balance organ, which is located in the inner ear.
Conservative therapy is selected depending on the etiology of the disease (antiviral agents or broad-spectrum antibacterial drugs) and its severity. It is possible to prescribe systemic anti-inflammatory drugs, dehydration complex, sedative drugs, glucocorticoids. Drainage of the ear cavity can be performed for the outflow of pathological secretions.
In cases of ineffectiveness of classic medical measures, an operation (antromastoidotomy) is prescribed.
Mild forms of labyrinthitis are treated on an outpatient basis, in severe cases (purulent, necrotic) - hospitalization is indicated.
Treatment of inner ear inflammation with folk remedies
If the patient is diagnosed with inflammation of the inner ear, treatment with folk remedies is permissible only by the doctor's decision as additional therapy. The danger of self-treatment is the high probability of serious complications - inflammatory processes in the temporal bone, meningoencephalitis, brain abscess.