Vertigo and Hearing Loss: How Your Inner Ear Affects Balance

Your inner ear does two jobs: it converts sound waves into the electrical signals your brain interprets as hearing, and it senses head position and movement to keep you balanced. These two systems sit millimetres apart inside the cochlea and vestibular organs.

Because they share the same space and blood supply, a problem affecting one system frequently affects the other. That is why hearing loss and vertigo so often appear together.

What is vertigo?

Vertigo is a specific type of dizziness where you feel like you or the room is spinning, even though neither is moving. It is different from lightheadedness or feeling faint. True vertigo is almost always related to the inner ear or the nerve pathways connecting the ear to the brain.

Episodes can last seconds, minutes, or hours depending on the underlying cause. They can be mild or so severe that walking and standing become impossible.

Conditions that cause both vertigo and hearing loss

Meniere disease

Meniere disease causes episodes of vertigo, fluctuating hearing loss (usually in one ear), tinnitus, and a feeling of fullness in the ear. Episodes are unpredictable and can last 20 minutes to several hours. Over time, hearing loss can become permanent.

The cause is believed to involve abnormal fluid buildup in the inner ear, though exactly why this happens is not fully understood. Treatment focuses on managing symptoms and reducing the frequency of attacks.

Labyrinthitis

Labyrinthitis is inflammation of the labyrinth, the part of the inner ear that houses both the hearing and balance organs. It is usually triggered by a viral infection. Symptoms include sudden vertigo, hearing loss, nausea, and sometimes tinnitus. Most cases resolve within weeks, though hearing loss may persist.

Acoustic neuroma (vestibular schwannoma)

This is a benign tumour on the vestibular nerve, which runs from the inner ear to the brain. It typically causes gradual hearing loss in one ear, tinnitus, and sometimes balance problems. Because it grows slowly, symptoms develop over months or years.

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL)

SSHL is a rapid loss of hearing, usually in one ear, that occurs over hours or days. Some people also experience vertigo or dizziness. It is a medical emergency that requires prompt treatment, ideally within 72 hours.

When vertigo happens without hearing loss

Not every case of vertigo involves hearing damage. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the most common cause of vertigo, and it does not affect hearing at all. BPPV happens when tiny calcium crystals in the inner ear become dislodged and drift into the semicircular canals, sending false motion signals to the brain. Symptoms are brief and triggered by specific head movements like rolling over in bed or looking up.

If you experience vertigo with no change in hearing, BPPV is a likely explanation. If vertigo comes alongside muffled hearing, tinnitus, or a feeling of pressure in the ear, the cause is more likely one of the conditions described above, and a hearing test becomes an important diagnostic step.

How a hearing test supports a vertigo diagnosis

When a physician is investigating the cause of your vertigo, one of the first things they need to know is whether your hearing has been affected. A comprehensive audiological assessment measures hearing sensitivity across a range of frequencies in each ear individually. The results reveal patterns that point toward specific diagnoses.

For example, low frequency hearing loss in one ear is a hallmark of Meniere disease. A gradual high frequency loss on one side may suggest an acoustic neuroma. Normal hearing on both sides shifts the focus away from inner ear pathology entirely.

Many Edmonton patients are surprised to learn that a hearing assessment does not require a doctor’s referral. You can book directly with a registered audiologist and have the results sent to your physician, which often speeds up the diagnostic process.

When to see a doctor vs. an audiologist

If you experience sudden vertigo with hearing loss, see a doctor promptly. Sudden sensorineural hearing loss is time-sensitive, and conditions like labyrinthitis may need medical treatment.

An audiologist’s role is to assess and document the hearing loss component. A comprehensive hearing test establishes what kind of hearing loss you have (sensorineural, conductive, or mixed), how severe it is, and whether it affects one or both ears. This information helps your doctor make a diagnosis and plan treatment.

Getting your hearing assessed in Edmonton

If you have experienced vertigo alongside changes in your hearing, a hearing test is a practical first step. At Edmonton Hearing Clinic, our registered audiologist will assess your hearing, explain the results, and help coordinate with your physician if further investigation is needed.

No referral is needed. Book at any of our locations or ask about our mobile in-home hearing care service.