Deafness may induce otolithiasis, and common causes of otolithiasis include Meniere’s disease, sudden deafness, and senile deafness.
Otolithiasis, i.e. benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, is a peripheral vestibular disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of transient vertigo and characteristic nystagmus induced by changes in head position. They are categorized into idiopathic and secondary.
1. Idiopathic otolithiasis: about half of the patients are of unknown etiology, mostly seen in the elderly and women, easy to be accompanied by senile deafness, may be related to the accelerated degradation of otoliths due to ageing, decreased absorption ability and decreased stability of otoliths, etc. Hormone level changes, calcium metabolism disorders and osteoporosis may also be susceptible to the factors.
2. Secondary otolithiasis: secondary to other otological or systemic diseases, such as Meniere’s disease, vestibular neuritis, sudden deafness, otitis media, head trauma, migraine, post-surgery (inner ear surgery, oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthopedic surgery, etc.), and the application of ototoxic drugs. Clinical symptoms of some of the above diseases include deafness.
If a person with otolithiasis has symptoms of deafness, he or she can consult a doctor for a systematic examination to clarify the relationship between the two, and then follow the doctor’s instructions to standardize the treatment.