Vestibular neuronitis

Diagnosing vestibular neuronitis

Many conditions can cause dizziness and vertigo. Your GP will usually diagnose vestibular neuronitis based on your symptoms, your medical history and a physical examination.

You may be asked to move your head or body, and your ears will be checked for signs of inflammation and infection.

Your GP will also check your eyes. If theyre flickering uncontrollably, its usually a sign that your vestibular system (the body's balancing system) isnt working properly.

You may be referred to hospital if:

your GP suspects a more serious condition, such as a middle ear infection or meningitis
the condition isn't showing signs of settlingafter three to four weeks
you also have hearing loss

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018

Articles for vestibular neuronitis

Introduction

Vestibular neuronitis, or neuritis, is an infection of the vestibular nerve in the inner ear. It causes the vestibular nerve to become inflamed, disrupting your sense of balance.

Symptoms of vestibular neuronitis

The most common symptoms of vestibular neuronitis are dizziness and vertigo the sensation that you, or everything around you, is moving. This may cause you to feel nauseous or be sick, have difficul

Causes of vestibular neuronitis

The vestibular nerve usually becomes inflamed because of a viral infection, which may have started with a sore throat , cold or flu . Vestibular neuronitis can also be caused by a bacterial infectio

Diagnosing vestibular neuronitis

Many conditions can cause dizziness and vertigo. Your GP will usually diagnose vestibular neuronitis based on your symptoms, your medical history and a physical examination. You may be asked to move

Treating vestibular neuronitis

The symptoms of vestibular neuronitis usually settle over a few weeks, even without treatment. However, there are some self-help measures you can take to reduce the severity of your symptoms and help

Chronic vestibular neuronitis

A small number of people experience dizziness and vertigo for months or even years. This is sometimes known as chronic vestibular neuronitis. It happens when the vestibular nerve fails to recover and

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