Vertigo With Ear Pain

Vertigo and ear pain are often very closely linked, and with good reason. Vertigo is a condition that affects the inner ear, and it is often caused by issues such as ear infection, which can create pain. While ear pain doesn't always accompany vertigo (and vertigo doesn't always come with ear pain) it is not unusual for the two symptoms to be linked if a patient displays both of them.

Vertigo

• When someone experiences vertigo, what he usually feels is a false sense of movement. Most often the movement is described as spinning or being pulled to one side. The person feels like she will lose, or that she is losing, her balance. Vertigo is not a diagnosis, but it is a description of a symptom.

The Vestibular System

• Vertigo is caused by a problem in the vestibular system. The vestibular system includes the inner ear, the vestibular apparatus (which controls the perception of position and motion), and the vestibular nuclei in the cerebellum.

Causes

• A number of conditions cause vertigo. Trauma to the head or inner ear, inner ear infections and a variety of medical conditions can all affect the vestibular system and cause vertigo. However, if a patient also feels ear pain with his vertigo, this can narrow the options somewhat, since it means he can rule out benign conditions that don't cause pain.

Treatments

• Once the cause of the vertigo and ear pain is discovered, then doctors may begin treatment. For diseases, patients will usually be given medication, including antibiotics if the cause is a bacterial ear infection. For some severe injuries, surgery may be necessary.

Other Symptoms

• Vertigo may cause other symptoms in people who experience it. Nausea and vomiting, in addition to the dizziness that is characteristic of vertigo, are common complaints. Faintness and light-headedness are also common complaints from vertigo sufferers, even if they don't experience ear pain along with it.