What are the symptoms of labyrinthitis and vestibular neuritis?
The main symptom is vertigo. Vertigo is dizziness with a spinning sensation. If you have vertigo you feel as if the world is spinning around you, and you feel very unsteady. Often you will also feel sick or vomit. Typically, if a viral infection is the cause (the common situation), you develop vertigo quite quickly. Vertigo occurs because the inflamed or damaged labyrinth or vestibular nerve sends conflicting signals to the brain compared with the normal ear. The brain becomes very confused about your head posture and reacts to cause vertigo. The vertigo can become intense and constant for the first few days and you simply have to lie down until the symptoms ease. The vertigo may be less intense if you lie down, and is often made worse by sitting up, moving your head, or moving around. In milder cases the vertigo is less intense, but you feel unsteady when moving or walking around.
