What are the symptoms of an inner ear infection?

Causes and symptoms of inner ear infection

An inner ear infection is almost always caused by a virus. Although this condition may appear on its own, it is just as likely to appear as a result of another illness including influenza, measles and mumps. Symptoms include pain in the inner ear, head, or upper jaw, dizziness, fever, nausea or vomiting, noises in the ear (tinnitus) which may also be accompanied by hearing loss. Not all of the symptoms may be present at the same time but any combination is usually a good indicator that you have a problem.

Like most everything else that ails you, a trip to the doctor's office is in order if you are experiencing these symptoms. It is possible that you could be suffering from a more serious illness called Meniere's disease which mimics the symptoms described in this article.

Inner ear infections are the result of bacteria moving into the area of your ear known as labyrinth which is a series of fluid-filled tubes and sacs, nerve endings, the cochlea, and the vestibular system, which controls your balance. Most of the time the condition settles into the Eustachian tube which connects the middle ear to your nose and throat. If this tube becomes blocked then it can no longer perform its job of letting air into the middle ear and draining collected fluids into your throat. Most often a blockage is the result of a cold, or other respiratory condition, that traps bacteria and allows it to enter your inner ear.

Treatment

When you reach your doctor's office you will likely undergo an examination with a medical instrument called an otoscope. The doctor uses this device to check for redness in the ear and build up of fluids lodged behind your eardrum. The doctor applies a gentle stream of air pressure to see whether or not your eardrum moves. A lack of movement, accompanied by redness, is generally a sign that an infection is present.

Once an inner ear infection is confirmed, the usual course of treatment is a prescribed antibiotic. Make sure that you take any prescribed medications, especially antibiotics exactly as directed. Never stop taking your medicine just because the symptoms have disappeared. Often times the physical discomfort will be reduced, or eliminated, soon after medication begins but the infection is still present. Stopping your medication too soon may result in reinfection with a bacteria which has become immune to the medication that you were prescribed.

Your doctor may also prescribe something to reduce your fever and an analgesic ear drop to reduce pain. An inner ear infection is not only painful but is very serious and should not be ignored. You can develop permanent hearing loss and the infection can spread to other areas of the head and skull which is not what you want to happen! Just see your doctor at the onset of symptoms and you should be just fine.