The vestibular apparatus is part of a complex mechanism that provides a person with balance and coordination of movements. It continuously interacts with the skin, visual and nervous system. The study of the vestibular apparatus is required in cases where their well-coordinated work fails, as a result of which a person loses balance and ceases to orient himself in space.
Vestibular apparatus: concept
The organ is a complex system, the development of which is completed by the age of 12-15. It is part of the inner ear.
Thanks to the work of the vestibular apparatus, a person easily orients himself in space and maintains the balance of the body even with his eyes closed. When you try to make any movement, the receptors of the system are instantly irritated, sending an impulse to the brain and muscle tissue. At the same time, the image is fixed on the retina. Due to this, the body can take any position and hold it for a long time.
Like any otherbody system, the organ of balance is extremely vulnerable. At the first sign of any violation of the vestibular apparatus, you should immediately contact a therapist or an otorhinolaryngologist.
Causes of disorder
Failure of the normal functioning of the body may be due to the development of certain diseases or taking certain medications. Often, violations of the vestibular apparatus appear as the body ages.
The most common causes of frustration are:
- Positional vertigo. Occurs when the head is lifted up or turned to the side. By nature, it is strong, but short-lived. Dizziness appears due to a violation of the structure of the receptors. Because of this, incorrect information about the position of the body is sent to the brain. The causes of this condition can be head injuries, diseases of the nervous system, aging.
- Infarction of the labyrinth (one of the structures of the inner ear). It usually occurs in elderly patients. In young people, it appears due to the progression of vascular diseases. Accompanied by sudden loss of hearing and coordination of movements.
- Vestibular neuronitis. The cause is the herpes virus. The peak incidence occurs in the autumn-spring period.
- Labyrinthite. Violation of one of the structures of the inner ear is due to the vital activity of viruses and bacteria.
- Menière's disease. Nonpurulent disease of the ear. It is characterized by damage and the subsequent regeneration of the labyrinth.
- Discharge disease. For example, due to a long stay in a moving vehicle, a person involuntarily sways after leaving it.
- Other causes: migraine, diseases of the nervous system and musculoskeletal system.
Symptoms
Investigation of the vestibular apparatus should be carried out when the following signs of its violation appear:
- frequent dizziness;
- sudden loss of balance or feeling of possible falling;
- weakness;
- vision deterioration;
- loss of orientation in space;
- alarm state turning into panic;
- nausea, vomiting;
- increased heart rate;
- difficulty trying to concentrate.
Often, a failure in the system is accompanied by disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.
Indications
The study of the function of the vestibular apparatus is prescribed for:
- frequent bouts of dizziness accompanied by hearing loss;
- decrease in reflex reactions;
- presence of neoplasm in the brain;
- traumatic brain injury;
- encephalitis;
- meningitis;
- multiple sclerosis;
- degenerative damage to the nervous system.
In addition, it is required to study the function of the vestibular apparatus for the VVK (military medical commission) and when applying for a job associated with increased loads on the balance organ.
Contraindications
Examination is prohibited in the following cases:
- acute period of head injury;
- in the presence of serious cardiovascular pathologies;
- increased intracranial pressure.
Diagnosis
An important point before examining the function of the vestibular apparatus is the collection of anamnesis. With its help, assumptions are made regarding the cause of the violation and the most appropriate method of examination is selected.
The doctor pays special attention to the following:
- when symptoms occur, frequency and duration;
- the nature of the signs, the sequence of their occurrence;
- having a hearing impairment.
Based on the medical history, the specialist prescribes the most benign method of testing. According to his decision, the patient may be referred to other doctors.
Today, there are many methods for studying the vestibular apparatus. The most common are:
- Test for spontaneous nystagmus (involuntary contractions of the eye muscles). The presence of this symptom is defined as follows: the patient sits on a chair and fixes his gaze on the index finger of a he althcare worker, located about 30 cm from the patient. The researcher begins to move his finger in different directions. When moving the gaze, nystagmus may appear. It has three degrees: weak, medium and strong.
- Study of positional nystagmus. It occurs due to circulatory disorders and in some diseases of the cervical region. To detect positional nystagmus, the patient's head is placed in a position that impairs blood flow in the arteries of the spine, and, consequently, in the ear labyrinth.
- Romberg test. The patient stands up and brings them together. After that, he should stretch his arms forward and close his eyes. Dysfunction of the vestibular apparatus is manifested by the patient swaying or falling.
- Indicative test. The patient closes his eyes, after which he is asked to touch his finger to the tip of his nose. If the coordination of movements is impaired, he will not be able to do this.
- Test with a letter. The patient is seated at the table, given paper and a pen. Then he needs to write some numbers from top to bottom and from left to right. After that, all actions are carried out again, but with closed eyes. The result depends on the angle of deviation of the written numbers from the horizontal and vertical lines.
- Rotational test. The patient sits down in Barani's chair and closes his eyes. After that, the chair begins to rotate. If the function of the vestibular apparatus is not impaired, after 10 uniform revolutions, nystagmus appears in the direction that is opposite to circling.
- Caloric test. Cold or hot water is drawn into a 100 ml syringe, after which it is poured into the ear canal. During normal operation of the vestibular apparatus, nystagmus will appear after ingestion of 50 ml of liquid. In case of dysfunction, no reaction will follow, even with the infusion of a large amount of water (up to 500 ml).
- Otolith reaction. The patient sits down on Barani's chair, leans his torso forward and closes his eyes. The chair begins to rotate intensively in different directions and stops abruptly. The patient should straighten the body and open the eyes. The degree of violation is determined by the nature of the reaction. With this method of studying the vestibular apparatus, the worst result is a fall, vomiting, fainting.
Where can I get a vestibular examination?
This diagnosis is carried out by an otorhinolaryngologist. If symptoms of dysfunction of the vestibular apparatus appear, it is necessary to contact an ENT or a therapist who will give the appropriate direction. The procedure can also be carried out on a contractual basis by contacting a private clinic.
In closing
The vestibular apparatus is a complex mechanism that provides a person with balance and the ability to navigate in space. It is closely related to other organs. When the system fails, unpleasant symptoms appear. When they occur, a study of the vestibular apparatus by an otorhinolaryngologist is indicated.
