Post Concussive or Post Traumatic Vertigo/Imbalance
Some patients after major or minor head injury have chronic or recurring vertigo or imbalance. Several potential causes exist. Injury to the neck can cause "cervical vertigo/dysequilibrium", see other discussion on this website of that disorder. The trauma which causes brain concussion can also bruise the inner ear or cause inner ear contusion. Vestibular ymptoms from head injury can be lasting. A recently described entity called dehiscent superior semicircular canal can be part of the problem. In the latter circumstance, a head injury can transmit energy through a rare naturally occuring hole in the upper balance canal, injuring the inner ear balance systems. Other ear trauma can also cause imbalance and position change induced dizziness. Many of these patients have puzzling problems which can affect ability to return to work but many of the more mildly injured persons do return to pre-injury activity.
Resources
- Ernst A, Basta D, Seidl RO, Todt I, Scherer H, Clarke A. Management of posttraumatic vertigo. Journal of otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery 2005 Apr;132(4):554-8.Click here to read
- Davies RA, Luxon LM. Dizziness following head injury: a neuro-otological study. Journal of Neurology 1995 Mar;242(4):222-30.
- Zhou D, Xu W, He L.Histopathology of nonacoustic labyrinth following head injury in guinea pigs Zhonghua Er Bi Yan Hou Ke Za Zhi 1994;29(6):350-2.
- Vartiainen E, Karjalainen S, Kärjä J. Vestibular disorders following head injury in children. International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology 1985 Jul;9(2):135-41.
- Marzo SJ, Leonetti JP, Raffin MJ, Letarte P. Diagnosis and management of post-traumatic vertigo. Laryngoscope. 2004 Oct;114(10):1720-3.
- Hoffer ME, Gottshall KR, Moore R, Balough BJ, Wester D. Characterizing and treating dizziness after mild head trauma. Otology & Neurotology 2004 Mar;25(2):135-8.