It is an acute inflammation of the vestibular nerve responsible for balance. It is an inner ear disorder that can cause sudden and severe dizziness, loss of balance, nausea and vomiting. It is one of the important reasons for patients presenting with vertigo complaints. While the incidence rates in men and women are the same, the incidence rate in children is very low. One of the differences from vertigo is that the person does not have a problem with hearing.
What are the Symptoms of Vestibular Neuritis?
The disease starts with symptoms such as dizziness, which can often wake you up from sleep or when you get out of bed. The head continues to spin in any position of the head and nausea occurs. During attacks, the patient may choose to sit or lie in a quiet place until the nausea and spinning sensations subside. Unlike vertigo, the dizziness can last for more than a day. Sometimes it can last for weeks or months. Recovery does not progress quickly. Over time, the attacks may subside but the feeling of imbalance may persist. The variability in recovery is determined by the damage to the organs. Some of the symptoms are as follows;
- Difficulty walking
- Visual impairment,
- Difficulty in reading
- Difficulty focusing and concentrating
- Vomiting
How is Vestibular Neuritis Diagnosed?
One of the important factors in the diagnosis of the disease is the history. Apart from this, the diagnosis is determined by physical examination, auditory tests, vestibular evaluation and imaging. The history is the first stage of diagnosis and determines the disease. Patients complain of sudden onset of extreme dizziness, nausea and vomiting. During physical examination, involuntary rhythmic eye movements are found during the acute phase of the disease. Audiologic evaluation does not reveal a hearing deficit in the absence of a pre-existing condition. To determine whether it is caused by the disease, the patient undergoes hearing tests, balance tests and tests to check whether a certain area of the vestibulocochlear nerve has been damaged.
What are the Treatment Methods in Vestibular Neuritis?
Some of the symptoms that occur in the patient; medication is used to reduce the effects of symptoms such as severe dizziness, imbalance, vomiting and nausea. The aim of drug treatment is to enable the patient to perform daily tasks without the support of someone else and to try to reduce the symptoms. In case the patient's intense dizziness decreases, physical therapy programs are recommended to the patient. This program is to help the patient get used to the balance problems and to retrain the brain.
Vestibular Rehabilitation Exercises
Vestibular rehabilitation is an exercise-based practice that is useful in restoring and improving balance and reducing dizziness. Vestibular rehabilitation helps to treat balance. Exercises are performed to help with dizziness and balance maintenance. The goal of the treatment is to enable the patient to perform activities in daily life without help and without fear, to increase the patient's gaze stabilization and to perform exercises to increase postural stability.
Who Can Benefit from Vestibular Rehabilitation Exercises?
Patients who can benefit from vestibular rehabilitation exercises are as follows;
- Patients with balance problems
- Patients with vestibular migraine
- Patients who experience crystal dislocation and do not recover
- Patients with complaints of imbalance
- Patients who have undergone brain surgery and experience imbalance afterwards