The other ear takes over the balance function. It disables the vestibular labyrinth in the affected ear. A procedure that's rarely used is called labyrinthectomy. The unaffected ear takes over that function.
Your doctor may inject your inner ear with the antibiotic gentamicin to disable the balance function. This type of therapy may help people whose dizziness is caused by anxiety disorders. It is used for people with dizziness from inner ear conditions such as vestibular neuritis. This physical therapy technique is called vestibular rehabilitation. You may learn specific exercises to help make your balance system less sensitive to motion. Before undergoing this procedure, tell your care provider if you have a neck or back condition, a detached retina, or blood vessel problems. It's usually effective after one or two treatments. It can be done by your doctor, an audiologist or a physical therapist and involves maneuvering the position of your head. A technique called canalith repositioning (or Epley maneuver) usually helps resolve benign paroxysmal positional vertigo more quickly than simply waiting for your dizziness to go away. Certain medicines may help prevent migraine attacks. Diazepam (Valium) and alprazolam (Xanax) are in a class of drugs called benzodiazepines, which may cause addiction. Your doctor may prescribe drugs to provide immediate relief from vertigo, dizziness and nausea, including prescription antihistamines and anticholinergics.
During this test you sit in a computer-controlled chair that moves very slowly in a full circle. You stand in your bare feet on a platform and try to keep your balance under various conditions. This test tells your doctor which parts of the balance system you rely on the most and which parts may be giving you problems. If your doctor suspects your vertigo is caused by benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, he or she may do a simple head movement test called the Dix-Hallpike maneuver to verify the diagnosis. And you may be given an eye motion test in which water or air is placed in your ear canal. Your doctor may watch the path of your eyes when you track a moving object. You may also need a hearing test and balance tests, including: