What to do if the organ of equilibrium is inflamed?
If an inflammation of the vestibular organ or the vestibular nerve is suspected, for example due to excessive dizziness, nausea and vomiting, an ear, nose and throat doctor should be consulted. If this doctor confirms the suspicion, several therapeutic measures can be considered. First of all, the doctor will determine the severity and urgency of a drug treatment.
In any case, strict bed rest is advisable. At the same time, medication against dizziness and nausea is often given (antivertiginosa).For advanced inflammation, drugs from the group of so-called “glucocorticoids“, to which cortisone also belongs, are also prescribed. These are the drugs of choice for inflammation of the vestibular nerve (neuritis vestibularis). In addition to bed rest and drug therapy, another important component is physiotherapy to strengthen the vestibular balance organ and to compensate for the complaints by the brain.
When do you need cortisone?
Cortisone belongs to the group of drugs called “glucocorticoids“. These are often used to treat inflammation because they suppress the immune system. This leads to a reduction of symptoms and thus to dizziness and nausea.
Glucocorticoids (e.g. “methylprednisolone”) are the drug of choice for inflammation of the vestibular nerve (neuritis vestibularis). They improve the recovery of the vestibular organ and thus reduce both the acute symptoms and any symptoms that may remain afterwards. However, it is important to ensure that the diagnosis is reliable, as different therapies are used depending on the cause of the dizziness. For example, cortisone only helps with inflammation and not with congenital, degenerative or traumatic defects.
Disturbances of the equilibrium organ
The organ of equilibrium (vestibular organ) is located in the inner ear, more precisely in the cochlea of the inner ear. From here, it ensures a coordinated sense of balance with every movement and every position of the body in space. A disturbance of the vestibular organ is thus accompanied by increased discomfort.
Typical signs of a disturbance of the organ of equilibrium can be sudden attacks of dizziness, which become worse especially in certain positions or during certain movements, for example when turning the head. Many patients complain of sudden dizzy spells, especially when falling asleep. This is caused by wear and tear on the ear, which ultimately leads to a disturbance in the organ of balance.
These are small stones that are embedded in the inner ear and then disturb the function of the organ of equilibrium. In addition to dizziness, there are other symptoms that indicate a disorder of the organ of equilibrium. On the one hand, many patients complain of recurrent nausea.
This can be explained by the fact that the brain has to process imprecise information again and again due to the constant feeling of dizziness. This can lead to discomfort and also to increased nausea. In addition, headaches often occur.
This is caused by the connection between the organ of balance and the eye. Normally, the eye always adapts its movements to the position of the body and relies on the information it receives from the organ of equilibrium. If there is a disturbance in the organ of equilibrium, this is always accompanied by incorrect eye movements and can therefore lead to headaches due to the constant attempts to compensate.
The causes of a disturbance in the organ of equilibrium can be, on the one hand, signs of aging, such as the crystal stones (Otholien) that are deposited incorrectly, but it can also be a circulatory disorder, which means that the inner ear and thus the organ of equilibrium cannot be adequately supplied with nutrients. In addition, there are so-called neurotopic viruses, i.e. viruses that spread in the area of the brain, among other things, which can temporarily damage the organ of equilibrium and thus lead to disorders. These viruses not only disturb the organ of equilibrium, but also lead to a temporary hearing loss or at least to a hearing loss because the auditory nerve is also affected.
