Labyrinthitis is how people popularly call any disease that affects the labyrinth, which is the organ of the human body responsible for balance. The main symptoms are loss of balance, dizziness or lightheadedness and, consequently, nausea, headache, difficulty in fixing the vision, difficulty in walking straight and standing up among others.
The labyrinth is a very small bony structure that lies within the ear. It has a liquid inside it, and from the movement of this fluid, it can transmit information to the brain such as body position and direction and speed of movement.
This is how we can feel, for example, when we are lying down or upside down, and on which side our body is spinning.
In the presence of any problem that affects this mechanism, we may feel as if we are falling, or that the head is spinning, which is vertigo.
There are several possible causes, from the simple aging of the organ due to old age or the presence of small crystals that form inside the labyrinth, to infections, inflammations, traumas (strokes) and other origins.
The treatment will depend on the home and the severity of the symptoms, and may include repositioning maneuvers, which are certain movements made with the intention of removing these crystals; anti-inflammatory medications or that improve blood circulation and others.
The patient who has this type of symptom should seek a general practitioner, geriatrician, otolaryngologist or neurologist.
