H83.1: Labyrinthine fistula

Your balance organ is damaged.

The ear is a sensory organ that is used to hear and to maintain one's balance. There are 3 different areas in the ear: the outer ear, middle ear and inner ear. The actual hearing organ, the cochlea, is in the inner ear. The cochlea consists of a channel of bone in a spiral, like a snail. Inside the cochlea are the sensory cells for hearing. The inner ear connects to the brain via the auditory nerve. The inner ear contains the organs of hearing and balance.

The balance organ is surrounded by a membrane and is not normally in direct contact with the middle ear. In your case, the membrane around your balance organ is damaged. This may be caused by an inflammation or an accident, for example. As a result, your balance organ has a connection to your middle ear which is not normally there. As a result of this connection, the balance organ is reacting more sensitively than usual to outside pressure.

When the balance organ is damaged, there may be various symptoms. One might be dizzy. Sometimes one also has balance problems. Then riding a bike becomes difficult, for example. One’s hearing may be worse than usual. One may also feel dizzy when cleaning one’s ears or when pressing on the auricle from outside, for example.