symptoms of ear disorders
ear, nose, and throat disorders
Dizziness and Vertigo
Vertigo is usually caused by disorders of the parts of the ear and brain that are involved in maintaining balance: Inner Ear None Brain stem and cerebellum Nerve tracts connecting the inner ear to the brain stem and cerebellum The inner ear contains structures (the semicircular canals, saccule, and utricle) that enable the body to sense position and motion. Information from these structures is sent to the brain through the vestibulocochlear nerve (8th cranial nerve, which is also involved in hearing). This information is processed in the brain stem, which adjusts posture, and the cerebellum, which coordinates movements, to provide a sense of balance. A disorder in any of these structures can cause vertigo. Disorders of the inner ear sometimes also cause decreased hearing and/or ringing in the ear ( Ear Ringing or Buzzing ). (See figure Also, any disorder that affects brain function in general (for example, Hypoglycemia , Although there is some overlap, causes of dizziness can roughly be divided into those with and without vertigo. Themost common causes of dizzinesswithvertigoinclude the following: Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo None Meniere Disease None Vestibular Neuronitis None Purulent Labyrinthitis None Vestibular migraine headache Vestibular migraine headache is increasingly recognized as a common cause of dizziness with vertigo. This type of Migraines most often occurs in people who have a history or family history of migraines. People often have headache with the vertigo or dizziness. Some have other migraine-like symptoms, such as seeing flashing lights, having temporary blind spots, or being very sensitive to light and sound. People may also have hearing loss, but it is not a common symptom. Themost common causes of dizzinesswithoutvertigoinclude the following: Drug effects Multifactorial causes Several kinds of drugs can cause dizziness. Some drugs are directly toxic to the nerves of the ears and/or balance organs ( Ear Disorders Caused by Drugs ). These drugs tend to cause dizziness and an inability to focus on a visual target (oscillopsia). Other drugs, for example, sedatives, affect the brain as a whole. In older people, dizziness often is due to several factors, usually a combination of drug side effects plus an age-related decrease in sensory function. Dizziness without vertigo may occur when the brain receives insufficient oxygen and glucose ( Hypoglycemia ), such as may be related to nonneurologic disorders including heart and lung disorders or severe anemia. People with Panic Attacks and Panic Disorder , Very often, no particular cause is found, and symptoms go away without treatment. Less common causes of dizziness include a tumor of the vestibulocochlear nerve ( Vestibular Schwannoma ); a 