Symptoms and Causes of Inner Ear Infections and How to Treat Them (2024)

Theinner earis the most complex area of the ear, made up of spirals, canals, and chambers that help process sound. These structures also hold fluids and help regulate your sense of balance. Your ears can become infected with bacteria and viruses, causing inflammation or infection and affecting your hearing and balance.

Types of Inner Ear Infections

The ear has three distinct sections: the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear. Ear infections are classified based on where they develop and which part of the ear is most affected. Theinner earis the most complex part of the ear. Its spiral, canal, and chamber structures help process sound, hold fluids, and help regulate your sense of balance.

The two most common types of inner ear infections are labyrinthitis and vestibular neuritis.

Labyrinthitis

Labyrinthitis is the name of inflammation or infection that develops in the fluid-filled chambers of the inner ear.

Inner ear infections like labyrinthitis are most likely to develop after a respiratory infection or cold (though bacterial or fungal infections can also cause them). Certain chronic conditions and disorders can impact this section of the ear and cause inflammation.

If you have labyrinthitis, you may experience the following:

• Balance problems
• Dizziness
  
• Hearing loss
• Tinnitus or ringing in the ears

These symptoms can come on suddenly but improve after just a few days.

Vestibular Neuritis

Vestibular neuritis is inflammation that impacts the eighth cranial nerve—your vestibular nerve. The vestibular nerve carries signals about balance and equilibrium from your inner ear to your brain. Inflammation can disrupt the flow of these signals and cause symptoms like:

• Balance problems
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Vertigo
  

The primary difference between vestibular neuritis and labyrinthitis is that vestibular neuritis does not impact your hearing. Viral infections or chronic disorders like Ménière's disease and Bell's palsy are most often the cause of vestibular neuritis. Symptoms can come and go suddenly during a flare-up. Vertigo and balance problems can last weeks or cause constant symptoms in more severe cases.

What Causes an Inner Ear Infection

Bacterial and viral infections cause many forms of ear infections. Cold and flu viruses are the more common cause of labyrinthitis in the inner ear, but vestibular neuritis has a wider range of causes.

Some of the viruses and bacterial causes linked to vestibular neuritis include:

• Epstein-Barr virus
• Hepatitis
• Herpes simplex virus
• Influenza
• Measles
• Mumps
• Polio

Chronic inflammatory diseases can also play a big role in the development of vestibular neuritis. Examples include:

• Bell's palsy
• Cogan syndrome
• Ménière's disease
• Stroke
• Vestibular migraines

Inner Ear Infection Symptoms

The most noticeable symptoms that can develop with an inner ear infection include:

• Balance problems
• Dizziness
• Feelings of vertigo

One distinguishing factor between labyrinthitis and vestibular neuritis is its impact on hearing. Inflammation with labyrinthitis can diminish your hearing, whereas vestibular neuritis does not affect hearing.

How Are Inner Ear Infections Diagnosed?

Healthcare providers cannot look at the inner ear during an exam as they would the outer portions of the ear. To get a perspective of what may be occurring inside the ear, a provider may ask you to perform various movements of your eyes, head, and body so they can assess your hearing and balance to diagnose an inner ear infection. Abnormal balance and eye movements can sometimes appear alongside vestibular problems.

How Are Inner Ear Infections Treated?

If your healthcare provider suspects a bacterial infection is causing your inner ear infection, they may prescribe antibiotics. However, antibiotics will not cure a viral infection. Steroids can help reduce inflammation to relieve symptoms, but supportive care is usually the most effective treatment.

If you are experiencing dizziness or vertigo, you might need medication for nausea or assistive devices to help you walk and prevent injury. Vestibular rehabilitation that involve certain exercises to improve balance and compensation strategies for more chronic cases can also help.

If a chronic disease is the source of your inner ear infection or inflammation, your specialist who manages those conditions may also be able to suggest some symptom relief.

Self-Care for Inner Ear Infections

Home remedies for inner ear infections aren't meant to be curative, but they do fall under the umbrella of supportive care. Below are some examples.

• Ginger: Ginger candies and ginger root are popular natural remedies for reducing nausea. Sipping ginger tea or chewing on ginger root and candies can help you feel better when a wave of nausea hits.
• Lie down: If you struggle with dizziness and vertigo during an inner ear infection, lie in a cool, dark room when possible.
• Focus on fixed objects: If you can't lie down, focus on something that's not moving.
• Use an over-the-counter (OTC) pain reliever: OTC relief will not help with nausea, vertigo, or dizziness, but it can help with headaches that arise from inner ear infections. If vestibular migraines are the cause of your inner ear problems, you may want to see a specialist who can offertargeted clinical treatments for your migraines.
  

Possible Complications and Long-Term Effects

Repeated inner ear infections can have long-term impacts on your hearing if left untreated. Vertigo or dizziness can also carry complications if you don't take steps to find your balance and reduce your risk of falls.

What's more concerning with some inner ear problems is that they are often linked to other, systemic health problems (those affecting the body as a whole). Some forms of vestibular neuritis, in particular, have been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

If you are experiencing long-term hearing loss, nausea, dizziness, and balance problems, check in with a healthcare provider to rule out any other issues and to get the treatment you need to avoid long-term damage or complications.

Can You Prevent Inner Ear Infections?

You can't prevent every type of ear infection, but you can reduce your risk of severe infection or long-term damage. Since bacterial and viral infections are a leading cause of labyrinthitis, maintaining good hand hygiene, keeping your distance from people who are sick, and staying up to date on preventive seasonal vaccinations can help.

Vestibular neuritis has also been linked to some viral triggers, but many of these can be avoided by keeping up-to-date with recommended routine immunizations, such as the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) and polio vaccines.

Other measures you can take to decrease your risk of developing an inner ear infection include:

• Keep your ears clean and dry—especially after swimming.
• Quit smoking or avoid secondhand smoke.

When to Contact a Healthcare Provider

Significant hearing loss or vertigo are reasons enough to make an appointment with a healthcare provider. Still, the following red flags should trigger an immediate visit to a provider, urgent care, or emergency department. These include problems like:

• A fever of 102 degrees F or higher
• Pus, discharge, or other fluid coming from your ear
• Ear pain that lasts more than a few days
• Continuous dizziness or vertigo for 24 hours or more
• Falls caused by balance problems or vertigo

It's also important to avoid driving yourself to get medical care if you are experiencing dizziness, vertigo, or balance problems.

Summary

Ear infections are most common in babies and young children but can occur at any age. Outer and middle ear infections make up most of these cases, but inflammation in the chambers or the nerves deep in the inner ear can lead to an inner ear infection.

Pain or headache can come with an inner ear infection, but inflammation deep in the ear usually causes symptoms like dizziness, nausea, or vertigo. Most of these infections will clear up on their own without treatment. Chronic cases or those that do not improve after a few days should prompt a call to a healthcare provider.