Labyrinthitis: Causes and symptoms

The disease agents that cause labyrinthitis may reach the inner ear by one of three routes:

• Bacteria may be carried from the middle ear or the membranes that cover the brain.
• The viruses that cause mumps, measles, influenza, and colds may reach the inner ear following an upper respiratory infection.
• The rubella virus can cause labyrinthitis in infants prior to birth.

Labyrinthitis can also be caused by toxic drugs.

The primary symptoms of labyrinthitis are vertigo (dizziness), accompanied by hearing loss and a sensation of ringing in the ears called tinnitus. Vertigo occurs because the inner ear controls the sense of balance as well as hearing. Some patients also experience nausea and vomiting and spontaneous eye movements in the direction of the unaffected ear. Bacterial labyrinthitis may produce a discharge from the infected ear.

— Rebecca J. Frey