Allergic rhinitis is a type I hypersensitivity reaction characterized by sneezing, nasal congestion, clear rhinorrhoea, pruritus, and postnasal drip. It is associated with asthma, conjunctivitis, and atopic dermatitis (unified airway concept). It peaks in adolescence and young adulthood, and affects women more than…
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is an abnormal sense of motion that is triggered by changes in head position. It is caused by deposits of calcium carbonate in the cupola of the posterior semicircular canal. It is the most common cause of peripheral vertigo.…
A perilymphatic fistula is a connection between the inner and middle ear cavity (or mastoid cavity). This connection reduces inner ear fluid volume, disrupts normal pressure gradients, leading to progressive hearing loss and vertigo
Meniere’s disease is caused by a unilateral, intermittent increase in endolymphatic volume, which results in unequal and abnormal vestibular function. It is characterized by recurrent, peripheral vertigo, which is associated with constant tinnitus and fluctuating sensorineural hearing loss. It is more common in older…
Labyrinthine concussion is a post-traumatic dysfunction of the inner ear without fracture of the labyrinth. It is characterized by an acute, peripheral vertigo.
Vestibular neuronitis, also known as vestibular neuritis, is the acute inflammation of the vestibular nerve. It leads to a sudden onset, severe (peripheral) vertigo, and is commonly associated with a URTI. It peaks between 40 and 50 years of age.
Dizziness is a sensation that produces spatial disorientation. Vertigo is a sensation of movement. It is usually perceived as a spinning sensation. Its cause is mainly neurological in origin, unlike presyncope – a feeling of light-headedness or faintness – whose cause is primarily cardiovascular.…
Acute mastoiditis is a suppurative infection of the mastoid air cells of the temporal bone. It is a serious complication of acute otitis media.
Lacerations of the ear should be repaired as soon as possible
Anotia is the absence of the ear caused by failure of neural crest cells to migrate to the 1st pharyngeal pouch. It is part of the first arch syndromes: Treacher Collins Syndrome and Pierre Robin Syndrome.