Harford News

A British skeleton athlete battled an inner ear infection and still came come out on top in the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Lizzy Yarnold's sights were set on gold in 2018, and she never thought such a common issue could almost stop her from achieving it. 

A vestibular disorder that affects the inner ear caused Yarnold some problems during the time she spent in PyeongChang. She also revealed having trouble breathing in a new, much colder climate while experiencing vertigo and sinus headaches that came without congestion, according to The Sun.

According to Wikipedia, Yarnold won the gold medal for women's skeleton in the Winter Olympics in both 2014 and 2018. She is the most successful British Winter Olympian and the most successful Olympic skeleton athlete of all time from any country. 

After Yarnold arrived in PyeongChang, she noticed she was developing a chest infection, which grew worse, to the point where she was having issues speaking and breathing.

Yarnold tried many potential solutions to dull the symptoms of her infection. After falling to third place, she was able to somehow take control of her symptoms and take home the winning gold medal in 2018.

"Labyrinthitis" a type of vestibular disorder that affects the inner ear. Labyrinthitis is caused by inflammation of part of the inner ear known as the labyrinth, according to NHS (National Health Service) Inform. The inflammation comes from an infection that is usually bacterial, or in some cases, viral.

“The studies show that it certainly contributes to a loss of vitality, productivity and quality of life," Dr. Jamie Oberman of Frederick Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers told Harford News.

Many bacterial infections clear up within 10 days and are mostly caused by a common cold, according to Mayo Clinic. Schedule an appointment to visit an otolaryngologist if things do not clear up after several weeks, symptoms get worse, or you have a history of recurrent or chronic sinusitis and sinus headache.