Balance Disorders — Causes, Types & Treatment

What is a balance disorder?

A balance disorder is a condition that makes you feel unsteady or dizzy. If you are standing, sitting, or lying down, you might feel as if you are moving, spinning, or floating. If you are walking, you might suddenly feel as if you are tipping over.

Everyone has a dizzy spell now and then, but the term “dizziness” can mean different things to different people. For one person, dizziness might mean a fleeting feeling of faintness, while for another it could be an intense sensation of spinning (vertigo) that lasts a long time.

About 15 percent of American adults (33 million) had a balance or dizziness problem in 2008. Balance disorders can be caused by certain health conditions, medications, or a problem in the inner ear or the brain. A balance disorder can profoundly affect daily activities and cause psychological and emotional hardship.

What are the symptoms of a balance disorder?

If you have a balance disorder, your symptoms might include:

• Dizziness or vertigo (a spinning sensation).
• Falling or feeling as if you are going to fall.
• Staggering when you try to walk.
• Lightheadedness, faintness, or a floating sensation.
• Blurred vision.
• Confusion or disorientation.

Other symptoms might include nausea and vomiting; diarrhea; changes in heart rate and blood pressure; and fear, anxiety, or panic. Symptoms may come and go over short time periods or last for a long time, and can lead to fatigue and depression.

What causes balance disorders?

Causes of balance problems include medications, ear infection, a head injury, or anything else that affects the inner ear or brain. Low blood pressure can lead to dizziness when you stand up too quickly. Problems that affect the skeletal or visual systems, such as arthritis or eye muscle imbalance, can also cause balance disorders. Your risk of having balance problems increases as you get older.

Unfortunately, many balance disorders start suddenly and with no obvious cause.

How does my body keep its balance?

Your sense of balance relies on a series of signals to your brain from several organs and structures in your body, specifically your eyes, ears, and the muscles and touch sensors in your legs. The part of the ear that assists in balance is known as the vestibular system, or the labyrinth, a maze-like structure in your inner ear made of bone and soft tissue.

Structures of the balance system inside the inner ear

Source: NIH/NIDCD

Within the labyrinth are structures known as semicircular canals. The semicircular canals contain three fluid-filled ducts, which form loops arranged roughly at right angles to one another. They tell your brain when your head rotates. Inside each canal is a gelatin-like structure called the cupula [KEW-pyew-lah], stretched like a thick sail that blocks off one end of each canal. The cupula sits on a cluster of sensory hair cells. Each hair cell has tiny, thin extensions called stereocilia that protrude into the cupula.

When you turn your head, fluid inside the semicircular canals moves, causing the cupulae to flex or billow like sails in the wind, which in turn bends the stereocilia. This bending creates a nerve signal that is sent to your brain to tell it which way your head has turned.

Between the semicircular canals and the cochlea (a snail-shaped, fluid-filled structure in the inner ear) lie two otolithic [oh-toe-LITH-ic] organs: fluid-filled pouches called the utricle [YOU-trih-cull] and the saccule [SACK-kewl]. These organs tell your brain the position of your head with respect to gravity, such as whether you are sitting up, leaning back, or lying down, as well as any direction your head might be moving, such as side to side, up or down, forward or backward.

The utricle and the saccule also have sensory hair cells lining the floor or wall of each organ, with stereocilia extending into an overlying gel-like layer. Here, the gel contains tiny, dense grains of calcium carbonate called otoconia [oh-toe-CONE-ee-ah]. Whatever the position of your head, gravity pulls on these grains, which then move the stereocilia to signal your head’s position to your brain. Any head movement creates a signal that tells your brain about the change in head position.

When you move, your vestibular system detects mechanical forces, including gravity, that stimulate the semicircular canals and the otolithic organs. These organs work with other sensory systems in your body, such as your vision and your musculoskeletal sensory system, to control the position of your body at rest or in motion. This helps you maintain stable posture and keep your balance when you’re walking or running. It also helps you keep a stable visual focus on objects when your body changes position.

When the signals from any of these sensory systems malfunction, you can have problems with your sense of balance, including dizziness or vertigo. If you have additional problems with motor control, such as weakness, slowness, tremor, or rigidity, you can lose your ability to recover properly from imbalance. This raises the risk of falling and injury.

What are some types of balance disorders?

There are more than a dozen different balance disorders. Some of the most common are:

• Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) or positional vertigo: A brief, intense episode of vertigo triggered by a specific change in the position of the head. You might feel as if you’re spinning when you bend down to look under something, tilt your head to look up or over your shoulder, or roll over in bed. BPPV occurs when loose otoconia tumble into one of the semicircular canals and affect how the cupula works. This keeps the cupula from flexing properly, sending incorrect information about your head’s position to your brain, and causing vertigo. BPPV can result from a head injury, or can develop just from getting older.
• Labyrinthitis: An infection or inflammation of the inner ear that causes dizziness and loss of balance. It is often associated with an upper respiratory infection, such as the flu.
• Ménière’s disease: Episodes of vertigo, hearing loss, tinnitus (a ringing or buzzing in the ear), and a feeling of fullness in the ear. It may be associated with a change in fluid volume within parts of the labyrinth, but the cause or causes are still unknown. For more information, read the NIDCD fact sheet Ménière’s Disease.
• Vestibular neuronitis: An inflammation of the vestibular nerve that can be caused by a virus, and primarily causes vertigo.
• Perilymph fistula: A leakage of inner ear fluid into the middle ear. It causes unsteadiness that usually increases with activity, along with dizziness and nausea. Perilymph fistula can occur after a head injury, dramatic changes in air pressure (such as when scuba diving), physical exertion, ear surgery, or chronic ear infections. Some people are born with perilymph fistula.
• Mal de Debarquement syndrome (MdDS): A feeling of continuously rocking, swaying, or bobbing, typically after an ocean cruise or other sea travel, or even after prolonged running on a treadmill. Usually the symptoms go away within a few hours or days after you reach land or stop using the treadmill. Severe cases, however, can last months or even years, and the cause remains unknown.

How are balance disorders diagnosed?

Diagnosis of a balance disorder is difficult. To find out if you have a balance problem, your primary doctor may suggest that you see an otolaryngologist and an audiologist. An otolaryngologist is a physician and surgeon who specializes in diseases and disorders of the ear, nose, neck, and throat. An audiologist is a clinician who specializes in the function of the hearing and vestibular systems.

Dislodging otoconia using the Epley maneuver.

Source: NIH/NIDCD

You may be asked to participate in a hearing examination, blood tests, a video nystagmogram (a test that measures eye movements and the muscles that control them), or imaging studies of your head and brain. Another possible test is called posturography. For this test, you stand on a special movable platform in front of a patterned screen.

Posturography measures how well you can maintain steady balance during different platform conditions, such as standing on an unfixed, movable surface. Other tests, such as rotational chair testing, brisk head-shaking testing, or even tests that measure eye or neck muscle responses to brief clicks of sound, may also be performed. The vestibular system is complex, so multiple tests may be needed to best evaluate the cause of your balance problem.

How are balance disorders treated?

The first thing an otolaryngologist will do if you have a balance problem is determine if another health condition or a medication is to blame. If so, your doctor will treat the condition, suggest a different medication, or refer you to a specialist if the condition is outside his or her expertise.

If you have BPPV, your otolaryngologist or audiologist might perform a series of simple movements, such as the Epley maneuver, to help dislodge the otoconia from the semicircular canal. In many cases, one session works; other people need the procedure several times to relieve their dizziness.

If you are diagnosed with Ménière’s disease, your otolaryngologist may recommend that you make some changes to your diet and, if you are a smoker, that you stop smoking. Anti-vertigo or anti-nausea medications may relieve your symptoms, but they can also make you drowsy. Other medications, such as gentamicin (an antibiotic) or corticosteroids may be used. Although gentamicin may reduce dizziness better than corticosteroids, it occasionally causes permanent hearing loss. In some severe cases of Ménière’s disease, surgery on the vestibular organs may be needed.

Some people with a balance disorder may not be able to fully relieve their dizziness and will need to find ways to cope with it. A vestibular rehabilitation therapist can help you develop an individualized treatment plan.

Talk to your doctor about whether it’s safe to drive, and about ways to lower your risk of falling and getting hurt during daily activities, such as when you walk up or down stairs, use the bathroom, or exercise. To reduce your risk of injury from dizziness, avoid walking in the dark. Wear low-heeled shoes or walking shoes outdoors. If necessary, use a cane or walker and modify conditions at your home and workplace, such as adding handrails.

When should I seek help if I think I have a balance disorder?

To help you decide whether to seek medical help for dizziness or balance problems, ask yourself the following questions. If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, talk to your doctor:

• Do I feel unsteady?
• Do I feel as if the room is spinning around me, even for a very brief time?
• Do I feel as if I’m moving when I know I’m sitting or standing still?
• Do I lose my balance and fall?
• Do I feel as if I’m falling?
• Do I feel lightheaded or as if I might faint?
• Do I have blurred vision?
• Do I ever feel disoriented—losing my sense of time or location?

How can I help my doctor make a diagnosis?

You can help your doctor make a diagnosis and determine a treatment plan by answering the questions below. Be prepared to discuss this information during your appointment.

1. The best way I can describe my dizziness or balance problem is:
   • Is there a spinning sensation, and if so, which way does the room spin?
   • Is the dizziness/spinning caused by any specific motion or does it occur even when sitting or lying still?
   • Are there any other symptoms that occur at the same time as the dizziness/spinning, such as hearing loss, tinnitus, a feeling of pressure in one or both ears, or a headache?
   • Does anything seem to help the dizziness/spinning?
2. How often do I feel dizzy or have trouble keeping my balance? How long do the dizziness or spinning episodes last (seconds, minutes, hours, days)?
3. Have I ever fallen?
   • When did I fall?
   • Where did I fall?
   • Under what conditions did I fall?
   • How often have I fallen?
4. These are the medicines I take. Include all prescription medications; all over-the-counter medicine, such as aspirin, antihistamines, or sleep aids; and all vitamin supplements and alternative or homeopathic remedies:
   • Name of medicine or supplement: ______________________.
   • How much (milligrams) _____ and how often (times) ______ per day.
   • The condition I take this medicine for is: __________________________.

What research is being done on balance disorders?

Scientists supported by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) are studying animal ears to learn if inner-ear structures that help with balance but are destroyed by aging, medications, infections, or trauma can someday be regrown in people with balance problems. Other NIDCD-supported scientists are testing vestibular prostheses—miniature devices that may be worn outside the body or implanted into the ear to regulate the function of balance organs in the inner ear and ease dizziness. Some of these devices are being tested on volunteers in clinical trials, and others are still being developed. Visit the NIH Clinical Research Trials and You website to read about these and other clinical trials that are recruiting volunteers.

NIDCD-funded scientists are also working to develop much-needed tests to appropriately diagnose balance disorders. Standardized tests will help doctors determine the best way to help individuals restore their sense of balance and quality of life. These tests will also help us understand how many people suffer from balance disorders, and track whether the sense of balance is restored following treatment.

Where can I find additional information about balance disorders?

The NIDCD maintains a directory of organizations that provide information on the normal and disordered processes of hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, and language.

For more information, contact us at:

NIDCD Information Clearinghouse
1 Communication Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20892-3456
Toll-free voice: (800) 241-1044
Toll-free TTY: (800) 241-1055
Email: [email protected]

NIH Pub. No. 00-4374
December 2017

Vestibular and Non-Vestibular Causes of Dizziness

Dizziness, vertigo, disequilibrium

Dizziness, vertigo and disequilibrium are common symptoms reported by adults during visits to their doctors. They are all symptoms that can result from a peripheral vestibular disorder (a dysfunction of the balance organs of the inner ear) or central vestibular disorder (a dysfunction of one or more parts of the central nervous system that help process balance and spatial information). Although these three symptoms can be linked by a common cause, they have different meanings, and describing them accurately can mean the difference between a successful diagnosis and one that is missed. Dizziness is a sensation of lightheadedness, faintness, or unsteadiness. Unlike dizziness, vertigo has a rotational, spinning component, and is the perception of movement, either of the self or surrounding objects. Disequilibrium simply means unsteadiness, imbalance, or loss of equilibrium that is often accompanied by spatial disorientation.

Dizziness

A sensation of lightheadedness, faintness, or unsteadiness. Dizziness does not involve a rotational component.

Almost everyone experiences a few seconds of spatial disorientation at some point. For example, when a person watches a 3-D movie in the theater and momentarily perceives an illusion of moving or falling as the images rush past. However, frequent episodes of vertigo—whether lasting only for a few seconds or days on end—are a primary sign of a vestibular dysfunction, especially when linked to changes in head position. By contrast, dizziness can be a primary sign of a vestibular disorder in addition to a broad array of cardiovascular, neurological, metabolic, vision, and psychological problems. It is also quite possible that a person may have a combination of problems, such as a degenerative vestibular disorder along with a visual deficit such as cataracts or a neurological disorder such as a stroke.

Because of the many possible causes of dizziness, getting a correct diagnosis can be a long and frustrating experience.

Dizziness caused by vestibular disorders

The body maintains balance with sensory information from three systems:

1. Vision
2. Proprioception (touch sensors in the feet, trunk, and spine)
3. Vestibular system (inner ear)

Sensory input from these three systems is integrated and processed by the brain stem. In response, feedback messages are sent to the eyes to help maintain steady vision and to the muscles to help maintain posture and balance.

Vertigo

The perception of movement or whirling – either of the self or surrounding objects.

A healthy vestibular system supplies the most reliable information about spatial orientation. Mixed signals from vision or proprioception can usually be tolerated. When sitting in a car at a railroad crossing, seeing a passing train may cause the sensation of drifting or moving, and feeling a soft, thick carpet underfoot as opposed to a solid wood floor can produce a floating sensation. However, compensating for vestibular system abnormalities is more problematic.

Just as a courtroom judge must rule between two sides presenting competing evidence, the vestibular system serves as the tie-breaker between conflicting forms of sensory information. When the vestibular system malfunctions, it can no longer help resolve moments of sensory conflict, resulting in symptoms such as dizziness, vertigo, and disequilibrium.

Vestibular Causes of Dizziness

Vestibular dysfunction is most commonly caused by head injury, aging, and viral infection. Other illnesses, as well as genetic and environmental factors, may also cause or contribute to vestibular disorders.

• Disequilibrium: Unsteadiness, imbalance, or loss of equilibrium; often accompanied by spatial disorientation.
• Acoustic neuroma: A benign tumor growing on the vestibulo-cochlear nerve.
• Autoimmune inner ear disease: Ooccurs when the defense capabilities of a mal-functioning immune system harm the cells of the body that affect the ear. Specific diagnoses include Cogan’s syndrome, Wegener’s granulomatosis, systemic lupus, Sjogren’s syndrome, and rheumatoid arthritis, among others.
• Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV): A condition resulting from loose debris (otoconia) that collect within a part of the inner ear. In addition to head injury, BPPV can occur due to the degeneration of inner-ear hair cells during the natural process of aging.
• Cervicogenic dizziness:  A clinical syndrome of disequilibrium and disorientation in patients with neck problems that include cervical trauma, cervical arthritis, and others.
• Cholesteatoma: A skin growth that occurs in the middle ear behind the eardrum.
• Enlarged vestibular aqueduct: Houses the fluid-filled endolymphatic duct, which is connected to the endolymphatic sac. The function of the duct and the sac are affected when the aqueduct is larger than normal.
• Labyrinthitis and vestibular neuritis: Inflammations caused by a viral infection that can result in damage to hearing and vestibular function (labyrinthitis) or damage to vestibular function only (vestibular neuritis).
• Spatial disorientation: A sensation of not knowing where one’s body is in relation to the vertical and horizontal planes.
• Mal de débarquement: A sensation of rocking or movement that persists after a sea cruise or other form of travel.
• Ménière’s disease, or primary endolymphatic hydrops:  Involves abnormalities in quantity, composition, or pressure of the endolymph (one of the fluids within the inner ear) accompanied by tinnitus and hearing loss. It is a progressive condition.
• Middle ear pressure changes: Such as from colds or allergies, can result from swelling of the Eustachian tube or the presence of fluid in the middle ear.
• Migraine associated vertigo (MAV): Is typically characterized by head pain with symptoms associated with vestibular impairment such as dizziness, motion intolerance, spontaneous vertigo, sensitivity to light and sound, tinnitus, imbalance, and spatial disorientation.
• Otitis media: A bacterial infection of the middle ear and meningitis is a bacterial infection of the brain covering that may spread to the inner ear.
• Otosclerosis: An abnormal growth of bone of the middle ear that prevents structures within the middle and inner ear from working properly.
• Ototoxicity: Caused by exposure to certain drugs or chemicals (e.g., intravenous aminoglycoside antibiotics) that damage the inner-ear nerve hair cells or the vestibulo-cochlear nerve.
• Perilymph fistula: Caused by injury, is a tear or defect in the oval or round window, which are small, thin membranes that separate the middle ear from the fluid-filled inner ear.
• Superior semicircular canal dehiscence: An opening in the bone overlying the uppermost semicircular canal within the inner ear.
• Secondary endolymphatic hydrops: Involves abnormalities in quantity, composition, or pressure of the endolymph.
• Vascular compression of the vestibular nerve: An irritation of the vestibular portion of the vestibulo-cochlear nerve by a blood vessel.

Non-Vestibular Causes of Dizziness

Dizziness can be linked to a wide array of problems and is commonly linked to blood-flow irregularities from cardiovascular problems.

• Aneurysm: A weak spot in an artery wall that balloons out and allows blood to leak into the vessel walls. An aneurysm is a catastrophic event that can cause severe dizziness and difficulty with walking.
• Arrhythmia: An irregular or abnormal heartbeat and can result in low blood flow to the brain, causing one to faint or feel faint.
• Atherosclerosis: Hardening or narrowing of the vertebral arteries. In older people who have high blood pressure, plaque is sometimes deposited within the arteries. This narrows the interior of the arteries and impedes blood flow. Heredity may be a factor in development of this condition.
• Carotid sinus reflex: Works rapidly in younger people but sometimes is much slower in older people, especially those with circulatory problems. The carotid sinus is very sensitive to decreases in blood pressure in the carotid artery. With a drop in blood pressure, the reflex constricts blood vessels in the lower extremities and dilates vessels in the head to maintain a normal blood pressure in the head and adequate blood flow to the brain.
• Defective heart valve: Usually involves the aortic valve, which when shut down (aortic stenosis) prevents the proper amount of blood from flowing to the brain.
• Dehydration: Can produce lightheadedness through its affect on multiple systems.
• Degenerative arthritis of the spine: Can cause bone spurs that may press on the vertebral arteries and interfere with blood supply to the brain.
• Embolism: Can occur when an embolus, or blood clot, forms around a heart valve that is not working properly, or is released within the arteries to the brain, causing a stroke. The effects of a stroke may include temporary dizziness. However, if the embolus travels to the vestibular system, it can cause severe dizziness.
• Heart attack: Rarely causes dizziness; when it does, lack of blood to the brain is the cause.
• Hyperventilation: A condition resulting from rapid breathing, when more carbon dioxide than normal is expelled. When this happens, the level of carbon dioxide in the blood falls and affects the function of brain cells, causing temporary dizziness.
• Medications: Some prescription and over-the-counter drugs can cause temporary dizziness.
• Nervous-system disorders: Can cause unsteadinesss (e.g. peripheral neuropathies that cause diminished nerve function in the legs or feet and multiple sclerosis).
• Orthostatic hypotension:  Common in older people, especially those with circulatory problems and diabetes. When a person has low blood pressure and pooling of blood in the lower part of the body while sitting or laying down, the process of standing up quickly can cause dizziness and fainting. Normally, body reflexes accommodate such position changes. However, when circulation problems impair these compensation mechanisms, faintness occurs.
• Osteoarthritis: A joint disease that can narrow the openings in the neck vertebrae (bones) through which blood vessels flow. Blockage of these vertebral arteries results in an inadequate blood supply to the base of the brain or brainstem—where the balance information is controlled. This causes symptoms of dizziness and lightheadedness. The condition is termed vertebral basilar insufficiency. If this arterial narrowing takes place gradually over time, other arteries may enlarge and take over some of the function of the affected vessels. This event, called development of a collateral blood supply, can’t happen if the arterial narrowing occurs suddenly (for example, if an embolus completely shuts off the blood supply). In such cases, death by stroke may result.
• Stress, tension, or fatigue: May cause the brain stem to function less efficiently, resulting in some loss of automatic reflex control of balance. This leads to elevated levels of activity for the cerebral cortex as it works to help maintain balance through the control of voluntary muscle movements. Lightheadedness and unsteadiness can result.
• Tumors: May affect the brain stem, the cerebellum (the coordination center of the brain), or the part of the cerebral cortex that controls voluntary muscle movements.
• Vasovagal syndrome:  A nervous-system response that causes sudden loss of muscle tone in peripheral blood vessels.
• Vision disturbances: Can occur when a person adjusts to bifocals or a new eyeglass prescription, or must compensate for reduced vision due to cataracts.

Dizziness Caused by Multiple Sensory Deficits

Maintaining balance and equilibrium can be very difficult when more than one health problem exists. A mild vestibular disorder can be much more problematic when accompanied by a visual deficit. The ability to compensate for a vestibular disorder is compounded when there is also a deficit with proprioception due to disease or an injury and severe dizziness can result. Careful evaluation, including a complete medical history noting all potential causes of dizziness, is essential to correct diagnosis and treatment.

Other resources: Causes of Dizziness, by Dr. Timothy Hain

Vertigo From Inner Ear Issues Can Be Eased With Canalith Repositioning

What is Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)?

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, also known as BPPV is an inner ear disorder. It is one of the most common causes of vertigo which is a sudden sensation of room spinning around you or that the inside of your head is spinning. BPPV causes brief episodes of intense dizziness, typically triggered with head movement in a certain way, rolling over in bed, turning your head quickly, bending over, or tipping your head back.

Causes of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo

Within the inner ear, collections of calcium crystals known as otoliths lie inside. Those crystals inside our ear monitor different movements of our head in all directions related to gravity. In patients with BPPV, the crystals are dislodged from their usual position, and migrate over time to a different location in the ear into the semicircular canals that contain fluid and fine, hair-like sensors that monitor the rotation of our head especially with a laying down position. This causes the semicircular canal to become very sensitive to head position changes causing you to have repeated episodes of dizziness or spinning sensations.

Signs and Symptoms of BPPV

The onset of severe dizziness is typically sudden. Many patients wake up with the condition, noticing the vertigo while trying to sit up suddenly. The main symptom is a feeling that you are spinning around or tilting when you are not. In many cases, the symptoms periodically resolve and then return. The signs and symptoms of BPPV vary among patients, but most episodes are short in duration, with symptoms commonly lasting around 30-seconds. In severe cases, the slightest head movement may also be associated with nausea and vomiting.

Diagnosis:

The diagnosis of a BPPV is based on signs and symptoms. Your clinical history provides a valuable information. Neuroimaging may be necessary to rule out other medical causes of your dizziness. The neurologist will examine you and perform different maneuvers of head movements in the clinic as part of the physical examination.

Canalith Repositioning Maneuver (Vertigo Treatment)

This maneuver is called the Epley maneuver and will be performed in our office. The canalith repositioning procedure consists of several simple and slow maneuvers for positioning your head. The goal is to rearrange the displaced crystals and move them from the fluid-filled semicircular canals of your inner ear back into the otolith organs in your ear where these particles don’t cause symptoms of vertigo. This therapy has a very high success rate for patients with BPPV.

Each position is held for about 30-seconds after any symptoms or abnormal eye movements stop. This procedure is usually effective and may be repeated if necessary in our clinic.

Test Preparation

There is no specific test preparation. The study is very short in duration. The patient generally will be ready to go home immediately following the test. Your neurologist will teach you how to perform the canalith repositioning procedure so that you can do it at home when necessary.

Resources:

Vestibular Disorders Association (VEDA)

Home

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/vertigo/basics/definition/con-20028216

Causes and Treatments of Dizziness and Vertigo

Dizziness and vertigo symptoms can range from the merely uncomfortable to the incapacitating. Severe vertigo can limit life activities and cause nausea, headaches, abnormal eye movements, and imbalance. The condition is most common among adults but can occur in younger patients as well.

Symptoms of Vertigo

Vertigo is typically described as a feeling of spinning, tilting, being off balance, or being pulled in one direction. The symptoms can be triggered when the head changes position or can occur spontaneously. The symptoms occur because the vestibular system, which controls our sense of balance and position, sends conflicting messages to the brain.

Causes of Dizziness and Vertigo

Many cases of vertigo are the result of an inner ear problem. The most common ear problems associated with vertigo include:

• Benign positional vertigo – A condition that causes vertigo lasting less than a minute when the head is placed in particular positions. It is caused by microscopic crystals of the inner ear getting displaced into the balance canals
• Ménière’s disease – A condition of fluid imbalance in the inner ear that can lead to vertigo, tinnitus, hearing loss and other issues. This condition has been found to primarily be caused by a migraine related problem in most patients.
• Vestibular migraine – A condition of the brain that affects the function of the balance and the control of eye movement leading to vertigo, imbalance, blurry vision, sometimes ear pressure, ear pain, headaches, pulsatile sound, feeling of being on a boat among others
• Labyrinthitis – An inner ear infection caused by a virus that can cause extreme dizziness and balance problems with hearing loss lasting several weeks
• Vestibular neuronitis – A viral infection of the vestibular nerve in the inner ear with no hearing loss. The vertigo lasts 2-3 weeks.

Treatments for Vertigo

The best treatment for vertigo depends on the exact cause. Some of the most common therapies include:

• Canalith repositioning (Epley) maneuver, which are a specific set of head and body movements designed to force the calcium deposits which are abnormally displaced in the inner ear canals and into the inner ear chamber where they can be reabsorbed by the body.
• Medications may be used to relieve the motion sickness and nausea associated with vertigo. If the vertigo is due to labyrinthitis, steroids, and intratympanic injections (behind the ear drum) are performed to reduce the hearing loss.
• Migraine preventative medications are used to treat vestibular migraine and Meniere’s disease. In one of our studies, 92% of patients had significant improvement of their symptoms with this treatment. Sometimes, injections in the ear are needed to control the symptoms of Meniere’s disease and vestibular migraine.
• Balance rehabilitation, which is a specialized exercise-based program designed to teach patients how to compensate for their faulty vestibular system in order to reduce gaze instability, imbalance, and falls.
• Rarely, surgery is used to treat patients with incapacitating vertigo.

Anyone experiencing vertigo accompanied by a sudden change in speech or vision should seek immediate medical help. This could indicate a more serious problem, such as a transient ischemic attack or stroke.

What Causes Vertigo (And What Can I Do About It)?: Lawrence Otolaryngology Associates: Otolaryngology

About 4 in 10 adult Americans experience vertigo at some point in their lives. If you belong to this group, it’s important to note that vertigo is a symptom, not a disorder itself. While generally occurring due to a problem with your vestibular system, the dizziness and balance issues associated with vertigo may come from head injuries, stroke, migraines or medication.

Signs of vertigo

When you have a sense of motion that doesn’t agree with what’s actually happening to your body, you have vertigo. You may also feel dizzy, unable to maintain balance or have both symptoms. You could feel the nausea or vomiting that sometimes accompanies motion sickness, and you could have vision or hearing symptoms also. Headaches and head sweating are also possible.

Why dizziness happens

Benign paroxysmal positioning vertigo (BPPV) is one of the most common reasons for vertigo symptoms. It’s usually accompanied by a sudden and intense sensation of spinning, usually following a change in head position, such as when sitting, standing, or lying down. BPPV is usually a harmless condition, but it can make you more likely to lose your balance or fall, which could lead to physical injury.

There’s often no known reason for BPPV, though it can also be caused by a head injury or associated with migraines. In rare cases, BPPV may be due to damage to your inner ear.

Similar vertigo symptoms may stem from a condition called Ménière’s disease or nerve inflammation called vestibular neuritis.

The vestibular connection

There’s a tiny organ in your ear called the vestibular labyrinth. It’s filled with fluid, and there are also tiny hairs that sense the movement of this fluid as you move. Combined with other sensory information, such as vision, nerve signals from the vestibular labyrinth provide your brain with data that’s interpreted by movement.

BPPV and other conditions that affect the vestibular system disturb the normal operation of the vestibular labyrinth, resulting in confusing information that your brain interprets as motion, even when there is none.

What you can do about vertigo

It’s unlikely that occasional episodes of vertigo are a warning sign for something more serious. If you are unsettled by the sensation or worried it could lead to falls, some conservative home remedies may ease your symptoms.

Perhaps the best first step is increasing your water intake. Dehydration can contribute to vertigo. Since it’s easy to add a couple of glasses of water daily, and since there’s little risk of side effects, it’s the perfect place to start. Other home treatments include drinking ginger tea twice daily and eating a handful of almonds daily.

A gentle, deliberate series of movements called the Epley maneuver can sometimes “reset” the physical conditions of your inner ear, relieving vertigo symptoms caused by BPPV.

If you feel that these home care steps are necessary, maintain a log of your episodes, symptoms, and response to treatment. This information can help you find the best way to relieve your vertigo, or it can help you communicate your symptoms and their severity to your doctor at Lawrence Otolaryngology Associates if your vertigo doesn’t respond to home care efforts. 

Their team of ear, nose, and throat specialists can help you determine the reasons behind your vertigo symptoms, as well as guiding treatment so you find relief.  Call the most convenient location today to schedule your initial consultation, or you can send us a message here on our website.

Ear, Nose & Throat Doctors

People with vertigo have a problem with their balance system and experience a sensation that their head or the environment around them is spinning or moving. These dizzy spells can be temporary or chronic.

Persistent vertigo can have a major impact on your daily life and can lead to depression and anxiety-related symptoms. If you experience vertigo, an otolaryngologist — also known as an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctor — can diagnose and treat your condition to improve your quality of life.

At Southern ENT Associates, we treat patients with vertigo at our seven Louisiana locations. Here’s what we think you should know about this condition.

Just what is vertigo?

If you’ve ever spun around in a circle and stopped suddenly, then you’re familiar with the sensation of the world around you spinning. This disorienting feeling subsides when you stop spinning.

In people with vertigo, attacks can develop suddenly when sitting or standing and may last for just a few seconds, or they may last longer. Some people experience vertigo severe enough to make it difficult to maintain balance when performing everyday tasks. Vertigo is often associated with an inner ear problem. Here are the three most common causes.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo

A mechanical problem with the inner ear known as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is one of the most common causes of vertigo. It occurs when calcium crystals normally found in the vertebrate of the inner ear breaks apart and ends up in the ear canals. Once there, these particles can interfere with the normal movement of fluid in the ear and, thereby, with the motion signals sent to the brain.

People with BPPV often experience sudden, intense dizzy spells that are triggered by certain head positions. While the attacks are often brief, they can cause significant distress.

Meniere’s disease

Vertigo is a common symptom of Meniere’s disease, a disorder of the inner ear that affects balance and hearing. You can develop Meniere’s at any age, but it most commonly develops between the ages of 40 and 60. Problems with the inner ear allow fluid to build up in a part of the ear responsible for balance.

This part of your ear, called the labyrinth, contains receptors that send signals to your brain about the position of your body. In people with Meniere’s disease, the buildup of fluid interferes with the signals sent between the brain and the ear, leading to symptoms like vertigo.

The exact cause of Meniere’s disease is unknown, but constrictions in blood vessels, allergies, immune reactions, and viral infections may be responsible.

Vestibular neuritis

Certain nerves in the inner ear are responsible for sending signals to the brain about head position. In vestibular neuritis, the vestibulocochlear nerve becomes inflamed, disrupting the signals sent to the brain. People with vestibular neuritis may experience a sudden swaying sensation that makes it difficult to concentrate on tasks.

Along with primary symptoms, some patients experience nausea or vomiting. Symptoms may last a few days before gradually improving. Researchers think that the vestibulocochlear swelling in vestibular neuritis is the result of a viral infection.

How is vertigo treated?

Vertigo is a symptom rather than a condition itself. Treatment is aimed at the underlying cause. Prescription medication can help relieve dizziness and shorten an attack.

In people with Meniere’s disease, limiting salt to reduce fluid retention can help lower the fluid volume in the inner ear. In vestibular neuritis, body posture exercises may help manage symptoms. If you have BPPV, your provider may recommend treatment to guide the calcium crystals back into the correct chamber.

At Southern ENT, we treat a wide range of conditions that affect your ears, nose, and throat. If you experience dizziness, prompt diagnosis and treatment can put you on the road to feeling better and getting your symptoms under control. Call one of our convenient locations to schedule an appointment or book your appointment online.

The Link Between Dementia and Vertigo

Memory loss in itself can be terrifying, especially as you get older. No one wants to think they’re on the road to dementia and forgetting all the things they once loved. But adding in other issues, such as vertigo, can make this transition even scarier for you. 

This is where our skilled team comes in. At the Neurology Center for Epilepsy and Seizures, we aim to help you navigate your symptoms and land on a diagnosis. Dr. Amor Mehta helps you understand what’s going on with your body and gives you realistic treatment options.

Vertigo explained

It’s common to get the terms vertigo and dizziness confused with each other. Although both terms are similar, the causes of each problem are different from the other.  

Vertigo refers to the actual feeling that your surroundings are spinning or moving when they aren’t. Dizziness, on the other hand, is a broad term to describe the feeling of being light-headed and losing your balance. 

Vertigo differs from dizziness because it’s caused by an issue in your central nervous system or a problem with your inner ear. Since your central nervous system is a pretty broad term, it’s good to understand the conditions that may cause you to have episodes of vertigo. Some of these causes include:

• Migraines
• Stroke
• Concussion
• Multiple sclerosis
• Dementia

If none of these issues are the cause of your vertigo, it’s most likely due to problems within your ear that are disrupting your balance. Meniere’s disease and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo are inner ear conditions that can cause you to experience vertigo episodes due to the disruption in your centers for balance.

Although balance issues are probably the most common symptom of vertigo, it can also produce other problems such as:

• Involuntary eye movement
• Headaches
• Disorientation
• Ear ringing

Vertigo can be linked to many other diseases and disorders, or it can be an issue all in itself. However, when signs of memory loss are involved, you might be dealing with an early indication of dementia.

What is dementia? 

Dementia refers to symptoms connected to the loss of memory, thinking, and decreasing social abilities. These symptoms can often be so severe that they affect your everyday life and functioning. Dementia isn’t the primary disease, though; there’s usually another diagnosis causing dementia symptoms.

There are a lot of different medical disorders that are linked to dementia. Some of these problems are categorized under progressive dementia. These types of medical problems include:

• Let body dementia
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Frontotemporal dementia
• Mixed dementia
• Vascular dementia

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of progressive dementia that affects older people with the above conditions. However, if you have memory loss alone, it doesn’t always mean that you’re dealing with a form of dementia.  

Dementia and vertigo: Are they linked?

To understand how these disorders are linked, you first need to know something about your brain. Your cerebellum is the part of your brain that controls your body movements. When there is a problem with this part of your brain, it can cause balance issues, like vertigo. 

Because of this, episodes of vertigo are sometimes the first sign that you may be getting dementia. This is especially true when talking about vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease because they affect the balance center of your brain.

When you consider vertigo, vascular dementia is the one type of dementia that should come to your mind. This is because, with this disease, there’s a problem getting oxygenated blood to flow to your cerebellum. Because this part of your brain is vital to body movement, any disruption in blood flow can cause you to feel as though you’re spinning, along with episodes of dizziness.

With vascular dementia, vertigo is one of the first symptoms you’ll experience before any of the other signs begin to show. Alzheimer’s disease is similar because vertigo may be one of the earlier signs you may experience. There’s a specific form of this disease called posterior cortical atrophy, affecting your cerebellum, leading to vertigo and balance problems.

As you can see, vertigo and dementia often go hand in hand together. However, just because you’ve been diagnosed with one doesn’t always mean you’ll experience the other. If you aren’t sure of your symptoms, make sure Dr. Mehta knows how you feel so he can help you come to a proper diagnosis.

When you’ve had enough of constant forgetfulness, call our office at 732-856-5999 to make an appointment or schedule a consultation online today.

Dizziness – diagnosis of causes | MRI Expert

If only love were to cause dizziness, people would probably be much happier.

For other reasons of this condition, we decided to ask the leading neurologist of the LLC “Clinic Expert Kursk” Umerenkova Natalia Vladimirovna.

– Natalya Vladimirovna, what can generally be understood as dizziness?

This is an important question – primarily for a doctor who is looking for the cause of a patient’s worsening condition.

What is dizziness? Allocate rotational and non-rotational.

At the first, there is a feeling of “rotation” of one’s own body or objects surrounding a person.

The second type – when, for example, the head is “dizzy” when standing up. In this case, the feeling of “nausea”, “lightness” in the head is rather noted, the person may feel sick. There is darkening in the eyes, palpitations, “fainting” state. In this case, the feeling of “rotation” as such may not exist.

Sometimes dizziness is understood as a feeling of instability that occurs when walking disorders of various nature.

A person is often unable to distinguish them, if only because it does not really matter to him.

– Often a person describes it this way: “I was sitting, got up abruptly, my head was very dizzy. ” What could be the reasons? Why does it darken in your eyes when you get up?

Orthostatic hypotension is more often the cause of such complaints (which is associated with a disruption of the autonomic nervous system – when moving to an upright position, blood from the upper half of the body “pours” into the vessels of the abdominal cavity and legs, cerebral blood flow suffers and a short-term decrease in blood supply to the brain stem appears) …

– What are the most common causes of vertigo?

Leading are circulatory disorders in the brain, as well as pathological processes in the vestibular apparatus and the central nervous system (responsible for the sense of balance).

– What diseases can cause dizziness?

There are many of them. It should be remembered that dizziness can be a symptom of both neurological and somatic diseases.

Let me name a few. Orthostatic hypotension (for example, the previously mentioned “sat – got up – darkened in the eyes”) – is caused by disorders in the autonomic nervous system, for example, in adolescence, with or after some infectious diseases and some others. Blood loss. Heart disease, such as some arrhythmias, when not enough blood is supplied to the brain at a certain point in time. Traumatic brain injury. Strokes.

What is the difference between hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke? Find out here

Also, the causes of dizziness can be: cerebral aneurysms; atherosclerotic lesions of the vessels of the brain and neck; multiple sclerosis; Meniere’s disease; labyrinthitis; benign positional vertigo; osteochondrosis; incorrect selection of glasses for vision correction; some migraine options; anemia; diabetes; pathology of the musculoskeletal system, when the patient has a feeling of instability.

Is there osteochondrosis? The doctor-radiologist “MRT Expert Yelets” tells

Yavorsky Evgeny Valerievich

– Is dizziness caused by medication?

Yes, quite a large number of medications can cause such a side effect. In particular, medicines to lower blood pressure, muscle relaxants, anticonvulsants, insulin therapy (in the case when the blood glucose level is significantly reduced).

– Is dizziness psychogenic?

Yes, such cases are known. It can occur with anxiety disorders, obsessions, phobias. There is also dizziness under stress. Such cases are described.

– Can the belly be connected to the head? In the sense that gastrointestinal problems can lead to dizziness?

There is no direct relationship. Some diseases of the gastrointestinal tract can be an indirect cause of dizziness, accompanied by this symptom, but often it is not the leading one, in contrast, for example, abdominal pain, other specific manifestations of the pathology of the digestive system.

The connection between the “abdomen and the head” is also possible in the form of “seasickness”: due to the imperfect work of the vestibular apparatus, a person in transport gets dizzy and vomits – despite the fact that there may be no diseases of the digestive system itself. In many cases, if the movement continues, the nausea turns into vomiting.

– How to determine in which cases the feeling of dizziness is not dangerous, and when it is associated with a particular disease?

It is better to entrust the doctor with the clarification of this issue, since even short-term, without immediate consequences, dizziness can be a sign of some kind of disease.

Such additional signs as nausea and vomiting, fever, general weakness, cold sweat, neurological symptoms in the form of speech impairment, deterioration or “loss” of visual fields, movement disorders, sensory disturbances must also be alarming.

I want to warn everyone who reads this article: you should not engage in self-diagnosis. If you feel dizzy, see your doctor.

– What to do if you feel dizzy?

Take a comfortable position, lie down.If possible, measure blood pressure and glucose levels. Provide fresh air. Call a doctor.

– Which doctor should you see if you feel dizzy?

It depends on what is causing the dizziness.

Since the patient usually does not know this, it is possible to consult a general practitioner or therapist first. Based on the possible diagnosis, they can recommend the consultation of narrow specialists: a neurologist, otolaryngologist, cardiologist, endocrinologist, psychotherapist.

You can find out the cost of an appointment and make an appointment with a general practitioner here

attention: the service is not available in all cities

Other related articles:

Surge! We are looking for the causes of high pressure

Why have an MRI of the brain when nothing hurts?

For information:

Umerenkova Natalya Vladimirovna

Graduated from Kursk State Medical University in 2004.

In 2004-2005, she completed an internship in neurology at the aforementioned university.

Since 2015, he has been working at Clinic Expert Kursk, a leading specialist in the Department of Neurology.

90,000 Dizziness due to vascular problems

More than 80 different diseases and conditions can cause dizziness, among which vascular problems occupy an important place. [1] Vessels are a kind of “roads” of our body through which blood delivers oxygen to all internal organs, including the brain.Lack of blood circulation in the brain can lead to very dangerous consequences, such as stroke. [1]

What prevents our internal “roads” from functioning normally? First of all, this is smoking, unhealthy diet, obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, stress, heart disease, diabetes and genetic predisposition. [2] Every day, these factors affect our vessels and provoke the development of cerebrovascular (ie “vascular”) diseases : for example, arterial hypertension (hypertension) and atherosclerosis.

More than 40% of the adult population of Russia suffer from hypertension. [1] Dizziness in hypertension occurs because the walls of the vessels become thickened and can no longer provide the brain with normal blood flow. Sometimes it comes to occlusion, that is, complete closure of the vessel lumen. [2]

Atherosclerosis occurs due to an excess of fat-like substances in the blood (cholesterol, low density lipoproteins and triglycerides). They settle on the walls of blood vessels and form plaques that narrow or even close the lumen of the vessels.[2]

In addition to dizziness, hypertension and atherosclerosis are accompanied by decreased performance, memory impairment, headache, tinnitus, weakness, feeling of lightheadedness, etc. Patients with these symptoms should definitely see a specialist. It is important to regularly monitor blood pressure, undergo an electrocardiographic study, complete blood and urine tests, as well as blood sugar and lipid tests. [2] Timely treatment can help prevent stroke, including recurrence.

Sometimes the pathology of the cervical spine interferes with the normal blood supply to the brain. [3] For example, in osteochondrosis due to changes in the shape of the intervertebral discs, the vertebral arteries supplying the brain with blood can be deformed. [2] [4] According to some reports, more than 70% of patients with dizziness have problems with the cervical spine! [5]

Vertigo caused by problems with the cervical spine is scientifically called “cervicogenic”.Most often it occurs due to osteochondrosis, additional cervical ribs, displacement or subluxation of the vertebrae and herniated discs.

The symptoms of many “vascular” diseases are very similar, so it is so important to see a doctor at the first sign of illness. Competent diagnosis and treatment can help to cope not only with dizziness, but also the cause that causes it.

List of used literature:

1. Zamergrad M.V. Vascular dizziness // BC.- 2007. – No. 9. – https://www.rmj.ru/articles/kardiologiya/Sosudistoe_golovokrughenie/ (Access date: 23.06.2016).

2. Manvelov L., Kadykov A. Vascular diseases of the brain. Everything can start with a headache // Science and Life. – 2007. – No. 2. – https://elementy.ru/nauchno-populyarnaya_biblioteka/430450/Sosudistye_zabolevaniya_mozga_Vsyo_mozhet_nachatsya_s_golovnoy_boli (Access date: 23.06.2016).

3. Dobrianskaya M. Modern concepts of cervicogenic vertigo // NeuroNEWS: neuropsychiatry and neuropsychiatry.- 2010. – No. 1 (10). – https://neuronews.com.ua/page/sovremennye-koncepcii-cervikogennogo-golovokruzheniya (Access date: 25.06.2016).

4. Martynov M. Yu. Diagnostics and treatment of vascular vertigo // Clinician. – 2007. – No. 4. – S. 35-39.

5. Alekseeva NS Dizziness of ischemic genesis: characteristics of vestibular disorders and the possibility of treatment with betahistine // Rational pharmacotherapy in cardiology. – 2007. – T. 3. – No. 1. – S. 4-8.

Co-author, editor and medical expert:

Volobueva Irina Vladimirovna

Born on 17. 09.1992.

Education:

2015 – Sumy State University, specialization “General Medicine”.

2017 – Graduated from an internship in the specialty “Family Medicine” and also defended her master’s work on the topic “Features of the development of antibiotic-associated diarrhea in children of different age groups.”

90,000 Causes and treatment of sudden dizziness

Elderly people are very afraid of dizziness.Because they understand: having lost balance, it is easy to fall, break an arm and a leg. However, young people also suffer from dizziness.

What diseases are indicated by loss of balance? What if the “head started to run”?

Causes of sudden dizziness

I am 60 years old. Recently, I have been very dizzy, at this time I feel sick and sweat. I suspected it was a pre-stroke condition. I came to see a therapist.But the doctor, asking a lot of questions about how I feel that my head is spinning, sent me to the earworm. But how will this specialist help me?

First, about why the doctor asked you for so long about the nature of dizziness. Experts know that often patients call dizziness simply a condition in which they feel unsteadiness when walking, they shake, they feel lightheaded.

Whereas doctors understand dizziness as a symptom in which it seems to a person that something inside his head moves or sways the things around him.This state of the doctor is called vertigo, true dizziness, with it, the balance is disturbed, the balance is upset.

You say that you have had severe dizziness with nausea, vomiting and sweating. Most often, this condition is not typical for a stroke, but for problems with the vestibular apparatus, which is hidden in the inner ear. Therefore, the therapist referred you to an otorhinolaryngologist.

However, imbalance and dizziness cause about a hundred diseases, which is why the therapist asked so many questions, cutting off various assumptions. Diabetes, head and neck injuries, cardiovascular problems, diseases of the blood, eyes, inner ear, peripheral and central nervous systems, viral infections, mental problems are to blame for dizziness … Sometimes an ordinary bus ride makes a person sick. Or a common situation. A person with presbyopia (age-related farsightedness) works at a desk with glasses for several hours. She gets up abruptly – and at the same moment, to the dismay of her colleagues, she falls to the ground. The explanation is simple: the eye worked for several hours in glasses designed for close work.When the man stood up, the eye had to fix its gaze on the distant object, and the vision did not cope with accommodation, which led to an imbalance.

It seems to me that I got dizzy after the drugs prescribed by the doctor. Could this be?

This is a common complication. Most often, a person feels characteristic dizziness after taking antidepressants, diuretics, hypotensive, anti-inflammatory drugs. Even antibiotics can disrupt the functioning of the vestibular apparatus.See your doctor – let him determine the drug-provocateur dizziness and replace it with another remedy.

How to treat dizziness

Are there medications to help me forget about dizziness?

As I have already explained, the disease itself, which caused the loss of balance, needs to be treated. And then the problem will disappear. And with Meniere’s disease, the main symptom of which is tinnitus and vertigo, special medications are prescribed. In addition to drugs, there are other methods of therapy.

With the so-called paroxysmal positional vertigo (with it, special crystals appear in the middle ear, and then any turn of the head causes vertigo), the ENT does certain manipulations: it turns the patient according to the desired algorithm, thanks to these movements, the crystals take the desired position, and the dizziness disappears. Otolaryngologists are increasingly using biofeedback methods. Treating vertigo is like a game. In it, a special attachment finds the patient’s center of gravity and projects the image onto the display.The task is like in a game of “bouncer”: to try not to be hit by flying balls and at the same time to fix the balance. Another technical innovation that greatly helps elderly patients in the treatment of vertigo is special devices that are implanted into the human body and help him to find balance every minute. Another gadget is put on like a belt and makes sure that the person does not lose balance.

How do you feel about exercises for hardening the vestibular apparatus?

Very useful and effective gymnastics.It is suitable both for those who are seasick in transport, and for those who, with age, have poor functioning of the cells of the labyrinth in the inner ear, which is responsible for balance. These are a kind of “dumbbells” for the vestibular apparatus.

For example, lying on your back in bed, make turns to the right and left sides. Roll your head in different directions while sitting. Now get up and walk forward, while alternately turning your head to the right and then to the left. Only a condition – gymnastics should be done one minute a day and regularly.Elderly people (by the way, after 85 years of age, half of the elderly complain about the loss of balance) it is better to carry out it under the supervision of relatives as a safety net. They also have this advice. If an elderly person lives in an apartment with pets, then before getting out of bed or chair, he must call the cat or dog to him and fix the pet with his gaze. The fact is that most often the old man loses his balance and falls, stumbling over a pet that jumped out of nowhere.

Read also

Seashell!

How to care for a patient after a stroke.10 questions to a rehabilitation therapist

Dizziness, loss of balance: causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment

Dizziness is considered the most common cause of visits to doctors in various specialties. The fact is that dizziness can be a symptom of a specific disease and a specific pathological condition of a person. It is very important to establish the cause of this vestibular disorder in order to provide informed treatment and to determine the choice of prevention.

Dizziness or vertigo is a condition that makes a person feel that objects around him are moving, rotating, spinning. This condition, as a rule, can be accompanied by weakness, bouts of vomiting and nausea, which can occur without connection with the disease. This phenomenon is often observed after a long ride on a merry-go-round or a boat and is typical of childhood. But when the causes of dizziness are not established in adulthood, then this is a signal of certain deviations in the functioning of the patient’s vestibular apparatus and disturbances in the functioning of the inner ear.There is a loss of balance control not only in the standing position, but also in the prone position. Many patients feel unsteadiness under their feet – “the earth is leaving from under their feet”, and some feel a state of intoxication, in which objects begin to fly.

Causes and symptoms of dizziness.

Hearing loss, nausea and vomiting, tinnitus are the most common signs of Meniere’s disease, which can be traced not only in adults, but also in children. It is very important to have the right treatment to precede the appearance of neuritis.

Unilateral nature of noise and deafness (hearing loss), bouts of vomiting and nausea can be characteristic of perilymphatic fistula and tumors of the auditory nerve.

Hearing problems, in which there is bloody or purulent discharge from the ears (otorrhea), indicate an inflammatory process in the middle and inner ear.

A sharp nature of dizziness with a simple movement of the head, and sometimes when looking away – may indicate vestibular neuritis (neuronitis) .

Severe headache, vomiting, drowsiness, disorientation in space, floating images when lying down can be symptoms of acute onset of stroke.

If, during head turns, there is a shooting pain of stiffness in the cervical-occipital region, some stiffness during movement, then this may be evidence of compression of the nerve root of the cervical spine.

Causes of repeated attacks of dizziness can be conditions such as traumatic brain injury and its consequences, basilar and vestibular migraines, transient circulatory disorders in the vertebrobasiri basin, tumors of the cranial nerves.

Some somatic diseases also occur with complaints of dizziness, for example, cardiac arrhythmia, arterial hypertension.

Dizziness is often reported by patients taking antibiotics or other medications.

At the Federal State Budgetary Institution NCC of Otorhinolaryngology of the FMBA of Russia, specialists from the scientific and clinical department of vestibulology and otoneurology are engaged in the treatment of diseases of the vestibular apparatus / analyzer. The specialists of the Center have accumulated a lot of positive experience in the treatment and rehabilitation of patients with disorders of the vestibular apparatus / analyzer and neurological diseases.Our Center employs one of the best specialists-otoneurologists in Russia, candidate of medical sciences, head of the scientific and clinical department of vestibulology and otoneurology, Zaitseva O. V., who uses in the practice of treating patients with vestibular disorders not only the most modern techniques, but also applies their own designs. We advise you to immediately consult a doctor if there are signs of dizziness, as it may indicate serious illnesses, a pathological state of the body and become dangerous to human health.

For effective drug and non-drug treatment, determination of preventive measures, it is very important to identify the cause of such a disorder.

In our Center, patients who have complained of dizziness undergo a comprehensive examination, developed by the best domestic and foreign specialists. In the Center, examination is carried out not only by a neurologist (neuropathologist), but also by an otoneurologist. Patients are prescribed vestibulometry without fail, which allows the otoneurologist-otorhinolaryngologist to assess the degree and level of damage to the vestibular analyzer.Modern otoneurological examination of the Center includes a number of sometimes rather lengthy tests (examination of one patient takes 1. 5-2 hours). Caloric tests / tests (heat and cold), rotational tests, optokinetic test, akkad test, smooth tracking test at the Center are performed on special equipment with video oculography (videonystagmography). A mandatory component of testing the vestibular system is the Dix-Holpike test (to detect BPPV – benign positional vertigo or BPPV).

Disorder of balance function (ataxia) , as a rule, is an integral part of cochleovestibular disorders / disorders that lead to a significant deterioration in the quality of life: people become helpless, lose their ability to work, sometimes they lose the ability to move without assistance. In such situations, a detailed study of the vestibular function is very important, including the function of a person’s balance and his ability to maintain an upright position of the body, to carry out stato-locomotor acts.Non-profit organizations of vestibulology and otoneurology use diagnostically reliable and traditional tests for assessing vestibular function, which include Romberg’s test, Unterberger’s test, Babinsky-Weil’s test, and Barany’s index test.

To determine the degree and identify the cause of ataxia (balance disorder), the Center uses digital posturography. The use of modern equipment of the Center significantly expands the diagnostic capabilities in the study of the statokinetic sphere, allows for a qualitative and quantitative assessment of the equilibrium function.The most modern version of the Romberg test, aimed at identifying statokinetic disorders, is carried out on posturographic / stabilometric platforms / complexes. It should be noted that our Center is equipped with the most modern posturographic complex, which allows not only to identify and interpret statokinetic disorder, but also to assess the possible effect of vestibular rehabilitation. In addition, our posturographic system is equipped with the function of creating / writing individual rehabilitation exercises that meet the needs of each individual patient, which significantly increases the effectiveness of treatment.

To confirm or exclude endolymphatic hydrops (dropsy) – Meniere’s disease, the Center must carry out electrocochleography and / or in a hospital dehydration test.

Treatment for dizziness, cochlear, vestibular, cochleovestibular disorders is carried out immediately, taking into account the causative factor and other characteristics of each of our patients! To improve metabolic processes and enhance regeneration processes, slow down the onset of neuropathy, we use a comprehensive and individual approach in the treatment of diseases of the organ of hearing and balance.We use according to indications: vestibular rehabilitation, vasoactive, anticholinergic, neurotropic drugs (including increased doses of B vitamins), hirudotherapy, acupuncture.

In our Center, quality assessment is carried out on an ongoing basis, monitoring of well-being, including recovered patients, is carried out in the most distant terms (even years later).

Thus, during the last year, during the computed posturography, 72 patients were found to have static ataxia due to the vestibular component.Posturographic test, a test of sensitive organization, a modern version of the Romberg test, performed in 6 stages: with open and closed eyes on a stationary platform with a stationary environment, with open eyes on a stationary platform with a mobile environment, with closed and open eyes on a mobile platform with a stationary environment and with open eyes on a movable platform in a movable environment.

The cause of cochleovestibular disorders in 16 out of 72 patients was an acute respiratory viral infection, in 30 – a stress factor, in 21 – an increase in blood pressure, in 3 – sudden changes in atmospheric pressure (during air travel and / or deep-sea diving), in 1 – go – manipulations (roughly performed manual therapy) on the cervical spine, one patient associated the onset of the disease with an inadequate diet for weight loss.

In addition to certain drug treatment, for 3-6 weeks, classes on vestibular rehabilitation were conducted at the posturographic complex (from 3 to 5 times a week), developed for each patient individually. Also, if necessary, some patients were provided with psychological assistance.

The results of post-treatment control posturography showed that all patients showed a significant decrease in ataxia, which was reflected in an increase in the vestibular stability index, and in 23 examined patients the equilibrium function indices were within the accepted age norm. Restoration of vestibular function at rest was recorded in all patients, which was combined with positive dynamics of repeated vestibulometry data. Evaluation of otoneurological and audiological studies carried out immediately after the end of treatment and after 3-9 months did not differ significantly. For 3-9 months after the end of treatment, not a single case of rotational dizziness and ataxia was recorded in any of the 23 subjects.

For each patient, the NCC otolaryngology develops an individual treatment and rehabilitation program, and the professional approach and attention of the Center’s staff are guaranteed to everyone!

90,000 Vestibular rehabilitation to reduce symptoms of dizziness, balance and mobility in patients with unilateral peripheral vestibular dysfunction

Relevance

People with vestibular disorders often experience dizziness, vision problems, stability (balance), or mobility.Vestibular disorders, called unilateral and peripheral (ATVD – unilateral peripheral vestibular dysfunction), affect one side of the vestibular system (unilateral) and only that part of the system that is outside the brain (peripheral – affects part of the inner ear). Examples of such disorders include benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), vestibular neuritis, labyrinthitis, unilateral Meniere’s disease, or vestibular problems following surgery such as labyrintectomy or removal of acoustic neuroma.Vestibular rehabilitation for these disorders is increasingly used and includes various modes of movement. Components of vestibular rehabilitation can include teaching symptoms leading to ‘desensitization’ of the vestibular system, learning to coordinate eye and head movements, improving stability and walking skills, and acquiring knowledge of [one’s] condition, how to deal with it or become more active.

Research characteristics

We found 39 randomized controlled clinical trials (including 2441 participants) that investigated the use of vestibular rehabilitation in this group of disorders.All studies used some form of vestibular rehabilitation and involved adults with symptomatic confirmed ATFD living at home (in the community). The studies differed in that they compared vestibular rehabilitation with other forms of patient management (eg, medication, routine nursing, or passive movement) with control or placebo interventions, or with other forms of vestibular rehabilitation. Another reason for differences between studies is the use of different ways of measuring outcomes (for example, reporting dizziness, increased stability, vision or walking, or the ability to participate in daily life).

Main Findings

Due to differences between studies, only limited aggregation of data was possible. Results from four studies were pooled that demonstrated that vestibular rehabilitation was more effective than control or sham intervention in improving subjective reports of dizziness and improving quality of life. The two studies provided a pooled result in favor of vestibular rehabilitation for improved gait.All other single studies have reported in favor of vestibular rehabilitation – improvements in areas such as stability, vision, and daily activity. An exception to these results was the results obtained in a specific group of people with BPPV, in whom comparison of vestibular rehabilitation with certain physical repositioning techniques indicated that these techniques were more effective in reducing the symptoms of vertigo, especially in the short term. However, other studies have demonstrated that the combination of [repositioning] techniques with vestibular rehabilitation was effective in improving functional recovery in the long term.There were no reports of adverse effects after any vestibular rehabilitation. In studies assessed at follow-up (3-12 months), beneficial effects persisted. There was no evidence that one form of vestibular rehabilitation was superior to another. There is an increasing and consistent body of evidence to support the use of vestibular rehabilitation for people with dizziness and functional impairment from ATFM.

Quality of evidence

The studies were generally of moderate to high quality, but varied in their methods. This evidence is current to January 18, 2014.

Dizziness and Balance Disorders: Causes and Treatment

In our clinic, we offer a quick and high-quality examination to identify the causes of dizziness and imbalance.

Dizziness – in terms of frequency of occurrence, dizziness is in 2nd place after headache. Complaints of dizziness of various nature and severity are presented by
5% of patients in general practice
10% – in the practice of neurologists
This condition often causes difficulties in diagnosis and treatment.

• not always correctly diagnosed (40% of cases)
• often difficult to treat
• may be a symptom of more than 80 diseases.

Making a correct diagnosis is made difficult by the fact that by dizziness patients understand completely different sensations.

Usually, these complaints can be conditionally classified into 4 main categories:

• Vestibulogenic vertigo (true).

(true dizziness, vertigo) is usually caused by damage to the peripheral or central part of the vestibular apparatus.It is manifested by the illusion of movement of one’s own body or surrounding objects. Acute dizziness is often accompanied by vegetative symptoms (nausea, vomiting, increased sweating), fear, imbalance and nystagmus (rhythmic involuntary vibrations of the eyeballs), the latter sometimes leads to blurred vision.

• Fainting and light-headedness

These terms denote a temporary loss of consciousness or a feeling of impending loss of consciousness.In a light-headed state, there is often increased sweating, nausea, fear, and darkening of the eyes. The immediate cause of this condition is a drop in cerebral blood flow below the level necessary to provide the brain with glucose and oxygen. Fainting and light-headedness usually develop against the background of arterial hypotension, heart disease, or as a result of autonomic reactions, and the tactics for these conditions are completely different than with vestibular dizziness.

• Imbalance is characterized by instability, shaky (“drunk”) gait, but not true dizziness.The cause of this condition is damage to various parts of the nervous system that provide spatial coordination. However, patients with cerebellar, visual, extrapyramidal, and proprioceptive disorders often define feelings of instability as “dizziness.”
• Disorders of the cerebellum
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Diseases of the spinal cord
• Vague sensations (heaviness, drunkenness, dizziness inside the head) often described as dizziness, occur with emotional disorders such as istericidal syndrome or hyperventilation , depression.Patients usually complain of “fog in the head”, a feeling of light intoxication, lightheadedness or fear of falling. These sensations are quite distinct from sensations in vestibular dizziness, fainting and imbalance.

True (vestibulogenic) dizziness can cause:

• damage to the peripheral part of the vestibular apparatus (receptors – sensitive cells of the inner ear, and the nerve that perceives and transmits to the brain information about the position and movement of the head and body in space) ,
• disruption of the work of special centers in the brain (central parts of the vestibular analyzer), where the information received is perceived and processed.

Various inflammatory (acute and chronic otitis media, labyrinthitis, neuronitis) and autoimmune processes, malnutrition and blood supply disorders, intoxication, taking certain medications, trauma can disrupt the work of the vestibular system.

Dizziness without feeling of rotation of the body or surrounding objects can cause a variety of diseases and conditions – vascular and other diseases that cause organic damage to the brain (hypertension, atherosclerosis, multiple sclerosis, etc.).etc.), anemia, diabetes mellitus, severe infections, mental disorders, etc.

Diagnostics:

• Consultation of an otolaryngologist-otoneurologist;
• Comprehensive audiological and otoneurological examination;
• Consultation with a neurologist;
• USDG, duplex and triplex scanning of the vessels of the head and neck;
• Investigation of spontaneous nystagmus, rotational tests;
• Radiography of the cervical spine;
• MRI;
• Positional probes.

It is very important to correctly determine the cause of dizziness, since the tactics and effectiveness of treatment depend on this. Of course, the achievements of modern medicine (computed and magnetic resonance imaging, etc.) are important in diagnostics, but a lot can be found out at the usual reception of a neurologist and an ENT doctor.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.
Treatment in 1-2 sessions!

One of the most common causes of vestibulogenic vertigo is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). This pathology occurs in 17-35% of cases of all types of dizziness. It is revealed by a special test at the reception of an ENT doctor and is treated according to a special method in just 1-2 sessions.

The cause of dizziness in BPPV is the separation of microscopic otolith stones from the sensitive villi in the inner ear due to trauma (inflammation, etc.). Their chaotic movement through the labyrinth of the inner ear causes a storm of discomfort and systemic dizziness experienced by the patient with every change in body position.

A doctor who is proficient in the treatment method, “drives” the otoliths “into place”, preventing their erratic movement, which at once eliminates the excruciating dizziness, from which a person could suffer for years. In 80% of cases, one procedure is enough, in 20% – two. And the problem is solved!

Of course, not all types of vertigo are diagnosed so easily and treated so successfully. But the correct identification of the cause of dizziness is the key to its effective treatment.

If you or your loved ones suffer from dizziness, do not delay contact an ENT doctor or neurologist.The earlier the correct treatment is started, the more chances for a good result are.

KBB Istanbul

Dizziness

Many people complain about this problem, but unfortunately many do not know that it is within the competence of specialists in the field of the ear, nose and throat. Although otolaryngologists have effective treatment methods for patients complaining of “dizziness associated with the position of the head.”

What is sleepiness?

Some people express balance problems with expressions such as “feeling weak, unsteady”.Feelings of insecurity, imbalance without a sense of spin and acceleration, sometimes come from inner ear problems.

What is vertigo?

People claim that they themselves or the environment revolves around. Dizziness mainly comes from inner ear problems.

The sense of balance is carried out as a result of the mixed relations of the following systems:

1-inner ear (labyrinth), determines the direction of movement; such as spinning, back and forth, side-to-side, up and down.

2-eyes see the direction of movement and where the body is in space (on its feet, upside down).

3-tissue distributors are located in organs such as the joints and spine and determine which part of the body touches the surface.

4-sensitive joint and muscle spreaders that determine which part of the body is in motion.

The 5-central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), evaluating all the results coming from the other four systems, provides a relationship between them.

If the central nervous system receives mixed information from these four systems, the person will feel weak or dizzy.

Let’s take an example of a real illness. Imagine that your one-sided inner ear has suffered from ear inflammation or head trauma. The affected inner ear, like the other ear, will not be able to transmit completely to the brain. In this case, your brain gets confused and you feel nauseous and dizzy.

What medical conditions cause distraction?

1-circulatory disturbance is one of the first causes of a feeling of distraction.If you don’t get enough blood to your brain, you will feel distracted. Almost everyone felt this after a sharp upward movement (stand up) from a seated or recumbent view. But some people suffer from impaired blood circulation leading to permanent diseases. Arteriosclerosis is common in people with high blood pressure, diabetes, or people with high cholesterol levels. Sometimes it is observed in people suffering from anemia or heart failure.

Certain drugs and stimulants such as caffeine, nicotine, reduce the flow of blood to the brain. Excessive salting when dieting also slows down blood circulation. Psychological stress, tension and anxiety, creating spasms in the blood, cause vascular disorders.

2-Trauma: with vertigo which cannot be resisted, a fracture of the skull of the head that affects the inner ear, hearing loss is formed. Weakness lasts several weeks; while the healthy side assumes responsibility for all functions of the inner ear, complaints are reduced.

3-Inflammation: viruses that cause flu and common colds can affect the nerves in the inner ear and brain. This situation can cause dizziness, but your hearing remains generally normal. However, if the bacteria inflame the middle ear and reach the inner ear, the result may be severe hearing loss and dizziness. The meaning and duration of the feeling of absent-mindedness is of the same nature as in skull fractures.

4-Allergies: some people who are allergic to the air

are exposed to food or dust, mushrooms, pollen, may appear distracted or dizzy.

5-Neurological diseases: diseases affecting the nerves such as swelling, syphilis, multiple sclerosis cause imbalance.

What can a doctor do against a feeling of weakness?

Your doctor will examine you and perform tests in relation to your balance and nerve functions.May ask you for skull scans, head scans, magnetic resonance imaging, computer scans, balance tests. However, if necessary, may ask for blood tests and cardiac tests.

How can we reduce feelings of weakness?

1-Avoid sudden movements after lying down.
2-avoid excessive head movements.
3-avoid or reduce the use of substances that impede blood circulation such as nicotine (cigarettes, cigars…), caffeine and salt. Don’t drink alcohol.
4-as much as possible, avoid substances to which you are allergic and situations such as tension and stress, which cause the onset of weakness.
5-When weak, avoid situations that could become dangerous for you, such as climbing stairs, working on a machine tool and driving a car.

Exercises that can be done:

Exercises that can be done in pastel:

Eye movements: start slowly and then increase the speed.* move your eyes up and down. * move your eyes from one side to the other. * during the approach and distance from the face of the finger, which you keep opposite the eye (from 30 to 90 cm), concentrate your eyes on the tip of the finger.

Exercises of the head: it is necessary to start with a slow speed with open eyes, and then gradually increase the speed and towards the end it is necessary to perform the movement with closed eyes. * tilt your head back and forth. * turn your head from one side to the other.

Exercises that can be performed in a sitting position:

* Shake your shoulders and turn in a circular manner. * leaning down, try to lift the object off the floor.

Exercises that can be performed in a standing state:

* Do squats with your eyes closed. * try to throw a small ball from one hand to the other at eye level. * try to catch the ball at knee level. * do squats.

Exercises that can be performed on the move:

* first with open eyes, then walk around the apartment with closed eyes.* first with open, then with closed eyes, go up and down the hill. * first with open, then with closed eyes, go up and down the stairs. Play games such as basketball and bowling, in which you must perform the movements of the incline, the goal in the opposite direction.

Benign positional vertigo (Selim Pozisyonel Vertigo)

This is the most common cause of vertigo caused by the inner ear. Complaints are said to be caused by the collapse of calcium, etc.n. crystals in the inner ear. These collapses float freely in the inner ear fluid with head movements and gravity. By itself, it can form after a traumatic brain injury or viral diseases.

In this disease, weakness, dizziness, sometimes accompanied by nausea, is sometimes found as a result of changes in the position of the body and head. Complaints last for a few seconds or minutes. When complaints occur, the downward ear is usually the responsible ear.With hearing loss, symptoms such as ringing or pressure in the ear do not occur.

To treat this situation, special ear movements are performed and the patient recovers quickly. Taking medications in this case has no effect.

Meniere’s disease

The cause is not exactly known, but it is assumed that it is formed due to the high pressure fluid reaching the inner ear compartment. In most patients, only one ear is affected, and in 15% of patients, both ears are affected.The disease usually begins between the ages of 20 and 50. It occurs equally in men and women.

What types of disturbances appear?

– temporary dizziness (as if something is spinning around the head)
– hearing loss
– ringing in the ears (tinnitus, tinnitus or ringing in the ears)

– a feeling of fullness in the affected ear

The worst concern in Meniere’s disease is dizziness. Feels a sensation of movement when stationary.

Vertigo in Meniere’s disease occurs in the form of attacks and is accompanied by imbalance, nausea and vomiting. Dizziness can last from 20 minutes to 2 hours, sometimes this time can last. During attacks, the person is unable to carry out their daily lifestyle. After that, drowsiness sets in and dizziness continues for several days.

At the onset of the disease, hearing loss of low tones appears, but mainly hearing loss of all tones develops over time. High-pitched sounds disturb people and are not perceived as normal sound.

“Ringing” and feeling of “fullness in the ear” in Meniere’s disease is variable, may be accompanied by hearing loss, may be permanent, or may occur earlier during attacks.

The discomfort in this disease may be mild, but it can also be in the form of intense dizziness, which can affect the course of the day’s work.

How is the diagnosis made?

Without attacks, the result of ear, head and neck controls appears to be normal.

A hearing test reveals “nerve-type hearing loss” in the ears. The percentage of hearing sense in this ear is reduced. In 50% of patients, the function of the imbalance of the affected ear is reduced.

May request an inner ear pressure test, ear canal test, computed tomography, or magnetic resonance imaging scans to check for any tumor. Rarely, tumors of this kind are found, but can cause such a cause as in Meniere’s disease.

What treatment does your doctor use?

Diet and Medication: In some patients, salt-free diets and diuretics may reduce the frequency of attacks.

Drugs used for vertigo may provide temporary relief. Sometimes it is possible to prescribe drugs for “nausea”. Drugs used for nausea and dizziness can cause drowsiness.

Lifestyle: Avoid caffeine, alcohol and smoking. Have to master regular eating and sleeping. Avoid excessive fatigue and develop an active life. Avoid stress and head to psychotherapy.

Precautions: in case of dizziness, do not drive without warning.Must be careful when swimming and climbing stairs.

Recently, patients whose treatment does not respond to classical treatment methods have been found to have an affective result without side effects of drugs in patients who are injected with cortisone in the middle ear

Vestibular neuronitis (Labyrinthitis) Vestibüler Nörinit (Labirentit)

In nerves cells located in the balanced part of the inner ear, edema is formed. It is believed to be caused by viruses.People, prior to the onset of symptoms, may claim to have had a cold or upper respiratory illness.

There is a sharp loss of balance, nausea and headache, hearing is normal. Symptoms at the beginning are powerful, assistance is required up to ten days during a person’s movement and several weeks, even months for driving a vehicle and doing all personal affairs. When turning the head suddenly, the person may feel temporary dizziness or a feeling of lightheadedness.This can take about one year.

For the disappearance of complaints, it is necessary to use drugs suppressing the balance of the system.

The time that will be formed on the function of the other ear and brain will be a complete recovery. This process may take one year and complaints of psychological and physical stress may temporarily increase.

Perilymph fistula

May result from sudden changes in pressure such as aircraft landing, deep diving, and head injury.Changes in pressure can rupture the tympanic membrane separating the inner ear and the middle ear and inner ear fluid to the middle ear.

On the basis of these movements, a feeling of “dizziness” and “weakness” is formed. “Hearing loss” may or may not be accompanied by “tinnitus or pressure in the ears.”

Basically, this gap heals by itself, no treatment is required. In rare cases, the state of dizziness remains constant. If progressive hearing loss occurs, surgery may be required.

During the operation, the area of ​​the gap is established and cured.

Acoustic neuroma

Acoustic neuroma is a benign tumor that occurs most commonly in the balance nerves. The tumor spreads very slowly and for this reason it can develop for several years without obvious symptoms.

“Dizziness is generally not observed, as the tumor slowly grows, the brain and the other ear take charge.Instead, the patient may experience an imbalance. The first complaint that may appear is “ringing in the ears”. The ringing is produced by stimulating the nerves of an enlarging tumor.

Diagnosis is by magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography.

Treatment is performed by removing the tumor.

Dizziness due to old age

In the elderly, both hearing loss and nerve balance decrease in sensitivity to such changes as “rotation, acceleration” is observed.

Decreased vision, blurred vision or fatigue in the eyes at close sight adds to this.

There are also changes in the nerve endings located in the joints, fibers and muscles of the legs and arms. In the spine, there is a large slope or decrease in the main muscle mass. Diseases such as diabetes mellitus and rheumatic diseases cause weakening of the sensory nerves in the arms and legs and thus reduce the information transmitted to the brain about the position of the body.

Symptoms of dizziness due to old age:

1 – when looking down or up, when crossing or bending sharply, changing position or fast rotation, such a feeling as “dizziness, vertigo, feeling of weakness” is formed.

2 – the feeling of swaying from one side to the other when walking.

How to keep complaints to a minimum?

There are no drugs that eliminate complaints due to old age, but there are auxiliary ways:

After waking up in the morning, sit for a few minutes on the edge of the bed.
2 – When making turns or changing positions, drive slowly. Keep an object close to you that will help you keep your balance.
3 – due to the fact that when moving up, down, bending, or abrupt straightening, “dizziness” may appear, it is necessary to have an object near which you could lean on.
4 – never walk at night. When waking up at night, turn on a bright light. There should be a night light in the bathroom.
5 – If you have trouble walking, use a stick.Remember, you are not leaning on these items; provide an increase in information directed to the legs, arms to the brain.
6-if you have such diseases as rheumatism, high blood pressure, eye pressure and diabetes mellitus, then these diseases should also be controlled by diet and appropriate medications.

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