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Labyrinthitis and other issues with balance are estimated to affect around 20% of the UK population at some time in their lives. If this is you, read on to discover more about the condition, and how natural strategies can help.
What is Labyrinthitis?
This exhausting condition can seriously disrupt daily life, become a source of anxiety and put you at risk of injury.
Usually, it’s caused by a bacterial or viral infection in the labyrinth. This is the network of fluid-filled channels in your inner ear. Within these channels sits your vestibular system, responsible for detecting your body’s movement through space, and therefore co-ordinating your balance and position. The vestibular system consists of semicircular ducts, fluid, and tiny hairs capable of detecting gravity and movement.
The system then sends messages to your brain via the vestibular nerve. This information helps you sense the location of your head and therefore retain your balance. Furthermore, it helps you maintain your direction and keep yourself stable when moving around. The information is combined with input about the world around you received from your eyes and your sense of touch. All this information is integrated by your brain and combines to help it work out where you are compared to other people and objects, so you can move around in a co-ordinated manner.
What are the Symptoms of Labyrinthitis?
Symptoms include a feeling of the world spinning around you, dizziness, and problems staying upright or walking in a straight line. You may additionally experience nausea, vomiting, tinnitus and hearing issues. The condition usually comes on suddenly and often resolves over time.
You might experience vertigo if you’re affected by labyrinthitis. This is a sensation of moving when you’re not, often described as a swaying sensation, particularly when moving your head or changing position. Understandably, this can be distressing and make you feel nauseous.
While vertigo can be one symptom of labyrinthitis, it can occur on its own. In this case, it’s often due to calcium crystals forming in the inner ears’ balance structures. These then break free and touch the tiny hairs in the vestibular system, creating a sensation of the body moving when it isn’t.
Vestibular neuritis is closely connected condition to labyrinthitis. It’s an inflammation of the vestibular nerve, and is characterised by symptoms similar to labyrinthitis, but it tends not to cause hearing loss or tinnitus.
Another related condition is Meniere’s disease. This condition is caused by increased amounts of fluid in the inner ear. It often occurs episodically.
Other health issues affecting balance include cardiovascular disease, circulatory problems, disordered blood pressure control, migraine, neck or spine trauma, thyroid problems or poor blood sugar control. Balance issues can be caused by inflammation in the vestibular nerve, too, or some types of autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
Natural Help and Support for Better Balance
- The herb gingko biloba can help support circulation to the inner ear as well as having anti-inflammatory properties. In research, it was found to reduce vertigo symptoms (1).
- Ginger has been used traditionally for many years to combat seasickness. A small study reported it helped alleviate vertigo (2).
- Make sure you’re properly hydrated, because insufficient hydration can reduce blood flow, including to your ears.
- Stress and poor sleep can worsen balance issues, because stress hormones directly affect your vestibular system. Prioritise sleep by reducing caffeine, taking steps to manage your blood sugar, consuming sufficient magnesium, and keeping your bedroom cool. It can help to avoid screen time within a couple of hours of bed. Meanwhile, your stress glands need plentiful supplies of B vitamins. Good sources include leafy greens, eggs, chicken, and salmon. If you suspect stress is a factor in your health issues, an Adrenal Stress and Cortisol Test examines levels of key stress hormones by analysing your saliva. The results can reveal whether stress is impacting your body’s functioning, for example by boosting inflammation.
- Salt can exacerbate fluid retention which in turn affects the vestibular system, so watch the amount of salt in your diet. Smoking, sugar consumption and alcohol can all worsen symptoms, too.
- Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to vertigo (3). Your major source of vitamin D, sunshine, is in short supply in the UK during wintertime, so you could consider a supplement. Vitamin D levels are easily checked with a small pinprick of blood. The Multivitamin Test additionally looks at other nutrients including magnesium and vitamins B9 and B12.
- Finally, when you do walk around, it can help to keep your eyes fixed on a particular point, rather than looking around you.
Help and Support Towards Better Balance
Integrative Medicine is all about better balance, both physically and emotionally. The beauty of The Forbes Clinic is we can signpost you to whichever one of our wide range of therapies we feel will be most effective for your specific circumstances.
For example, if chronic stress is a factor in your health condition, we offer several Mind/Body therapies, including Emotional Freedom Technique. This can help release any emotional tension contributing to physical symptoms. Acupuncture can encourage healthier blood flow to the inner ear, while Traditional Chinese Medicine aims to restore balance to your body. Craniosacral Therapy can be effective in correcting underlying imbalances and tensions within the craniosacral system, which can be linked to inner ear health issues.
Book a 15-minute Discovery Call with one of our Integrative Medicine doctors to find out whether we’re a good fit for you. Or, for a deep dive into your health issues, start with an Integrative Health Assessment and restore your health and wellbeing from the ground up.
