Vestibular neuronitis isn’t a condition that you often hear about. That’s because it’s a rare inner infection that only affects 3.5 out of 100,000 patients. However, we believe that it’s crucial to learn as much as you can about vestibular neuronitis, especially if you’re looking for natural remedies for vertigo. Find out how the connection between vertigo attacks and vestibular neuronitis below.

Vestibular Neuronitis: An Inner Ear Infection that Causes Balance Problems

Vestibular neuronitis (vestibular neuritis) is an infectious condition that affects the vestibular nerve. It causes severe vestibular nerve inflammation due to the body’s natural response to disease-causing bacteria or viruses. 

Sometimes, it can develop as a side effect of other infections like flu, sore throat, and meningitis. Some studies also note that it can stem from head or neck trauma because of the abnormal inflammatory response of the body.

Regardless of what caused your vestibular neuronitis, an inflammation in the vestibular system can send your brain into complete chaos because it can’t detect motion or head position changes properly. It can trigger spinning sensations or vertigo attacks accompanied by loss of balance, poor body coordination, and cognition problems. Thankfully, patients diagnosed with this disease often return to their usual tasks once they heal.

Diagnosing Vestibular Neuronitis

Some believe that the relatively small number of reported vestibular neuronitis cases has something to do with the difficulty of getting an accurate diagnosis. If you have been following the UCA blog, you might have already read about a similar type of inner ear infection – labyrinthitis. These two types of internal ear problems often get mistaken for each other, causing patients difficulties in finding an effective treatment option. 

So, if you suspect that you have vestibular neuronitis, we recommend consulting your physician. A thorough diagnosis will help you narrow down the possible cause and find a suitable remedy. Here are the usual things doctors do to check if a patient has vestibular neuronitis: 

• Checking for vestibular nerve damage
• Performing balance tests 
• Evaluating hearing ability
• Performing a head impulse test

If possible, you should consider seeking an otologist or neurotologist. These specialists can provide you with an in-depth assessment of the inner ears and determine if your symptoms indicate vestibular neuronitis.

Managing Vestibular Neuronitis and Vertigo

It takes about 14 to 28 days for the infection to heal in most cases. But, to ensure speedy healing, you will need to eliminate that pathogen that caused the condition using anti-viral medications or antibiotics. 

Additionally, you should follow your doctor’s instructions and use techniques that can minimize the intensity of your symptoms. Here are some valuable tips and natural remedies for vertigo that might come in handy in managing your symptoms: 

• Drink water slowly when you feel nauseated 
• Minimize movements and stay away from heavy machinery, moving objects, and sharp tools when you experience vertigo attacks 
• Limit alcohol intake because it can affect your blood pressure 
• Avoid common vertigo triggers, including bright lights, loud sounds, and strange scents
• Learn to manage your stressors (work responsibilities, financial troubles, relationship conflicts, etc.) 
• Avoid moving or tilting your head quickly because you might trigger a spinning sensation
• Address pre-existing sources of infection so you can prevent a worse inflammatory response
• Steer clear from food triggers like products rich in sodium or food additives
• Tap into vestibular rehabilitation, an exercise-based approach to managing vertigo attacks and other balance problem
• Address cervical spine misalignments with the help of an upper cervical doctor

Upper Cervical Care – One of The Leading Natural Remedies for Vertigo 

Case studies have long proven that spinal manipulations provided by upper cervical chiropractors can make a huge difference for patients with vertigo. This is because cervical subluxations can interfere with your vestibular system’s physiological function. The bones can also prevent proper fluid drainage in the inner ears, increasing your risk for vestibular nerve compression or irritation. 

Thankfully, if you suspect having spinal misalignments, you should consider tapping into upper cervical care. After all, it’s among the most widely known natural remedies for vertigo that provides patients with desirable results.

Have you ever been to an upper cervical chiropractic practice? If not, here are some of the things you should expect when meeting an upper cervical doctor for the first time:

You will need to share your patient information 

This will help your chiropractic doctor determine what might have caused your cervical spine misalignments. It can also help retrace problems that may be aggravating your vestibular neuronitis. 

You may need to get your neck bones assessed 

Physical assessment of your neck bones can reveal a lot about your body. First of all, your upper cervical doctor can check for muscle knots that might have formed because of poorly aligned bones. Secondly, it could reveal how far your head has tilted away from the body’s central axis.  

The doctor might need to do a quick leg length test 

Checking for gait changes or leg length discrepancies can sometimes help neck chiropractors determine how far the subluxation has progressed. So, you might need to undergo the same assessment before undergoing neck bone X-rays. 

Your upper cervical doctor will check C1 and C2 bone changes

After running some preliminary tests, your upper cervical chiropractic physician can proceed to check your neck bones. Usually, this test uses 3D x-ray scans of the C1 and C2 bones. The doctor can obtain the exact measurements needed to provide precise adjustments. 

Once your neck chiropractor has a better understanding of your condition, you can verify if you need upper cervical care. The assessment can also help you gauge the severity of the neck bone structure problem.

Would you like to explore one of the finest natural remedies for vertigo and other vestibular neuronitis symptoms? Find out more about upper cervical chiropractic by consulting with a nearby upper cervical chiropractor.

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