The study of the vestibular apparatus: how is the testimony, the essence of the procedure

The vestibular apparatus is part of the complex.a mechanism that ensures a person 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 a failure occurs in their well-coordinated work, as a result of which a person loses his balance and ceases to orient himself in space.

Vestibular apparatus: concept

The organ is a complex system, the development of which is completed by 12-15 years. It is part of the inner ear.

Thanks to the work of the vestibular apparatuseasily orientated in space and keeps the balance of the body even with closed eyes. When you try to make any movement instantly irritated receptors of the system, sending a pulse to the brain and muscle tissue. Simultaneously, 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 other body system, organequilibrium is extremely vulnerable. At the first sign of any violation of the vestibular apparatus, it is necessary to immediately contact a therapist or otorhinolaryngologist.

Causes of disorder

Failure of the normal functioning of the body maybe caused by the development of certain diseases or the intake of certain medicines. Often, disorders of the vestibular apparatus appear as the body ages.

The most common causes of the disorder are:

1. Position dizziness. Occurs when lifting the head up or turningto the side. By nature, it is strong, but short. Dizziness occurs 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.
2. Heart attack labyrinth (one of the structures of the inner ear).It is usually found 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.
3. Vestibular neuronitis. The cause is the herpes virus. The peak incidence occurs in the autumn-spring period.
4. Labyrinthitis. Violation of one of the structures of the inner ear due to the vital activity of viruses and bacteria.
5. Meniere's disease. An unpleasant ear disease. It is characterized by damage and subsequent regeneration of the maze.
6. Disease "unloading". For example, due to a long stay in a moving vehicle, a person involuntarily sways after exiting.
7. Other reasons: migraine, diseases of the nervous system and musculoskeletal system.

Symptoms

The study 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 a possible fall;
• weakness;
• deterioration of vision;
• loss of orientation in space;
• anxiety state, turning into panic;
• nausea, vomiting;
• increase in heart rate;
• difficulty trying to focus.

Often, a malfunction in the system is accompanied by disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.

Indications

The study of the function of the vestibular apparatus is assigned when:

• frequent bouts of dizziness, accompanied by hearing impairment;
• decrease in reflex reactions;
• the presence of tumors in the brain;
• traumatic brain injury;
• encephalitis;
• meningitis;
• Multiple sclerosis;
• degenerative damage to the nervous system.

In addition, research is required on the function of the vestibular apparatus for the IHC (Military Medical Commission) and upon admission to work associated with increased loads on the organ of equilibrium.

Contraindications

The survey is prohibited to conduct in the following cases:

• acute period of head injury;
• in the presence of serious cardiovascular pathologies;
• increased intracranial pressure.

Diagnostics

An important point before examining the functionvestibular apparatus is a history taking. With it, 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 occurred, their frequency and duration;
• the nature of the signs, the sequence of their occurrence;
• Are there any hearing impairment?

On the basis of anamnesis, the specialist designates the most gentle method of testing. By his decision, the patient can be redirected to other doctors.

To date, there are many methods of research of the vestibular apparatus. The most common are:

1. Spontaneous nystagmus test (involuntary contractions of the eye muscles).The presence of this symptom is determined as follows: the patient sits on a chair and fixes his gaze on the index finger of the medical worker, located about 30 cm from the patient. The researcher begins to pull the finger in different directions. When moving the eye, nystagmus may appear. It has three degrees: weak, medium and strong.
2. The study of positional nystagmus. It occurs due to circulatory disordersand in certain diseases of the cervical region. In order to identify positional nystagmus, the patient’s head is given a position that worsens the blood flow in the arteries of the spine and, consequently, in the labyrinth of the ear.
3. Romberg's sample. 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 rocking the patient or his fall.
4. Indicative test. The patient closes his eyes, after which he is offered to touch his fingertip to the tip of the nose. If the coordination of movements is disturbed, he will not be able to do this.
5. Test with the letter. Больного усаживают за стол, дают бумагу и ручку.Then he needs to write a few numbers from top to bottom and from left to right. After that, all actions are repeated, but with closed eyes. The result depends on the angle of deviation of the written numbers from the horizontal and vertical lines.
6. Rotational test. The patient sits in the Barani chair and closes his eyes.After that, the chair begins to rotate. If the function of the vestibular apparatus is not impaired, after 10 even turns, a nystagmus appears in the direction opposite to circling.
7. Caloric test. 100 ml in the syringe is typed cold or hotwater, after which it flows into the ear canal. During normal operation of the vestibular apparatus, nystagmus appears after the ingestion of 50 ml of fluid. With dysfunction, the reaction will not follow, even with the infusion of a large amount of water (up to 500 ml).
8. Otolith reaction The patient sits on the chair Barani, tiltstorso forward and closes the eyes. The chair begins to rotate intensively in different directions and abruptly stop. The patient should straighten the body and open the eyes. By the nature of the reaction is determined by the degree of violation. With this method of research of the vestibular apparatus, the worst result is considered to be falling, vomiting, fainting.

Where to pass the study of the vestibular apparatus?

Такая диагностика проводится оториноларингологом.If symptoms of dysfunction of the vestibular apparatus appear, it is necessary to contact the ENT specialist or the general practitioner who will give the appropriate direction. The procedure can be carried out on a contractual basis by contacting a private clinic.

Finally

Vestibular apparatus is a complex mechanismproviding 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 in an otolaryngologist is shown.