Labyrinthitis is inflammation of the labyrinth – a maze of fluid-filled channels in the inner ear. Vestibular neuritis is inflammation of the vestibular nerve – the nerve in the inner ear that sends messages related to motion and position to the brain. Both conditions involve inflammation of the inner ear. Labyrinths that house the vestibular system sense changes in the heads position or the heads motion. Inflammation of these inner ear parts results in a sensation of the world spinning and also possible hearing loss or ringing in the ears. It can occur as a single attack, a series of attacks, or a persistent condition that diminishes over three to six weeks. It may be associated with nausea, vomiting, and eye nystagmus. The cause is often not clear. It may be due to a virus, but it can also arise from bacterial infection, head injury, extreme stress, an allergy, or as a reaction to medication. 30% of affected people had a common cold prior to developing the disease. Either bacterial or viral labyrinthitis can cause a permanent hearing loss in rare cases. This appears to result from an imbalance of neuronal input between the left and right inner ears. Signs and symptoms
The main symptoms are severe vertigo and nystagmus. The most common symptom for vestibular neuritis is the onset of vertigo that has formed from an ongoing infection or trauma. The dizziness sensation that is associated with vertigo is thought to be from the inner ear labyrinth.
Mental disorders
Because mood disorders can hamper recovery from labyrinthitis, treatment may also include any co-occurring anxiety disorder or depression. Severe anxiety episodes are usually addressed by short-term benzodiazepine therapy. Prognosis
Recovery from acute labyrinthine inflammation generally takes from one to six weeks, but it is not uncommon for residual symptoms such as dysequilibrium and dizziness to last for a couple of months.Recovery from a temporary damaged inner ear typically follows two phases:

An acute period, which may include severe vertigo and vomiting
approximately two weeks of sub-acute symptoms and rapid recovery

Epidemiology
Labyrinthitis affects approximately 35 million people per year (approximately 3.5 cases per 100,000 people). It typically occurs in those between 30 and 60 years of age, and there are no significant differences between male and female incidence rates. In 95% of cases, sufferers experience a single attack and fully recover. Vestibular rehabilitation showed a statistically significant increase in controlling symptoms over no intervention in people who have vestibular neuritis. References
External links

Labyrinthitis at Curlie