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Labyrinthitis (cont.)

Labyrinthitis Causes

Many times, you cannot determine the cause of labyrinthitis. Often, the condition follows a viral illness such as a cold or the flu. Viruses, or your body's immune response to them, may cause inflammation that results in labyrinthitis.

Other potential causes are these:

  • Trauma or injury to your head or ear

  • Bacterial infections: If found in nearby structures such as your middle ear, such infections may cause the following:

    • Fluid to collect in the labyrinth (serous labyrinthitis)

    • Fluid to directly invade the labyrinth, causing pus-producing (suppurative) labyrinthitis

  • Allergies

  • Alcohol abuse

  • A benign tumor of the middle ear

  • Certain medications taken in high doses


  • Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo: With this condition, small stones, or calcified particles, break off within the vestibule and bounce around. The particles trigger nerve impulses that the brain interprets as movement.

  • More serious causes of vertigo can mimic labyrinthitis, but these occur rarely.

    • Tumors at the base of the brain

    • Strokes or insufficient blood supply to the brainstem or the nerves surrounding the labyrinth



Next: Labyrinthitis Symptoms »

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Labyrinthitis and Related Conditions »

Labyrinthitis is an inflammatory disorder of the inner ear or labyrinth.

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