Vestibular Trauma: Understanding Inner Ear Injuries & Balance Issues

The vestibular system, a part of the inner ear, is largely responsible for our sense of direction and balance. Should something create trauma in the inner ear and damage this system, the brain may not be able to read the vestibular signals about head and body movement.

Causes

• Trauma can be caused by viral or bacterial infection in the middle or inner ear, allergies, chemical exposure, and physical trauma enacted on the head and neck, like whiplash.

Sypmtoms

• If the vestibular system is damaged by a traumatic event, and ceases to function appropriately, symptoms including dizziness, vertigo, imbalance, spatial disorientation and nausea can occur.

Diagnosis

• Typically diagnosis is completed through a system of tests. There are three basic kinds of tests used: balance analysis, hearing analysis and medical imaging.

Treatment

• Treatment depends on the overall health of the patient, the type of trauma that caused the vestibular condition and the symptoms exhibited as a result of the trauma. The most common forms of treatment are rehabilitative therapy and surgical correction.

Recovery

• The degree of recovery depends on the availability of treatment, the degree of damage incurred by the trauma and other factors like self-care and repeated traumatic incidents. Mild trauma usually results in complete recovery, while more serious physical injury can result in a permanent vestibular condition.