Unexpected effects of air pollution on inner ear
Abstract
Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (PPV) is the most frequent kind of vertigo. It is a recognized as an inner ear problem caused by small calcium carbonate crystals that float through the inner ear fluid and strike against the cupula of semicircular canal. Authors have observed in a retrospective statistical analysis of 575 patients through 5 years a significative correlation between frequence of PPV attacks and air pollution peaks. This correlation shows that air pollution may interfere with metabolism of inner ear fluid inducing endolimph free floating particles that cause PPV.