Dizzy? Loss of Balance? Vertigo? Motion Sickness?

The natural aging process may affect any one or all of our five senses, as well as the central nervous system's ability to interpret and react quickly to them.

It is very common to hear from someone who has fallen that they saw the curb or step, but were not able to react fast enough or to keep their balance.

The National Institute of Health Statistics indicate that balance-related falls account for half of the accidental deaths in the over 65 population. In addition, nearly 300,000 hip fractures and $3 billion in medical expenses result from balance-related falls every year.

With proper diagnosis and therapeutic exercises, called Balance Retraining, many older adults are able to return to a more active lifestyle.

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American Institute of Balance&reg Patient Self Quiz

Have you ever felt:

__ a feeling of motion, spinning, or falling when moving your head quickly, or changing your position, e.g. getting in and out of bed?

__ uncomfortable trying to get around in the dark?

__ walking down grocery store aisles or through the mall is upsetting?

__ your feet just won't go where you want them to?

__ a sense of unsteadiness? A feeling you are not sure-footed?

__ a fear of falling or stumbling?

__ looking at moving objects such as escalators or looking out the side window of a car makes you queasy?

__difficulty keeping your balance as you walk on different surfaces, e.g. tile to carpet?

__a feeling like you are drifting or being pulled to one side when walking?

__ no one really understand how frustrating all of this is?

If you checked one or more of these questions, a vestibular and equilibrium evaluation should be scheduled.  Talk to your primary doctor or call an talk to one of our AudigyCertified Audiologists.

Information for Patients with Dizziness

IF you have a balance disorder as a result of an ear problem you should know:

The ears work together to create balance. The ears send a balance signal to the brain, and the brain compares the two signals. Normally these signals are the same. Vertigo is triggered when the balance signals are unequal, such as when one ear sends a strong signal and the other is a weak one.

Sedating medications do not help the healing process. Medications like Antivert (Meclizine), Valium (diazepam), and some antihistamines suppress the vestibular and central nervous systems. This delays the healing process because the medication reduces the neural response as the brain tries to balance the two signals, and delaying rehabilitation makes balance problems worse.

The ears need to learn to work together. Some patients do not want to move because they are afraid of creating vertigo, but this is a mistake. The brain needs to relearn how to coordinate the balance signals from both ears. The more often the brain deals with the signals from the ear, the quicker the dizziness problem will be resolved.  When the brain learns how to coordinate the signals from both ears, balance results.

Balance exercises help. Vestibular rehabilitation is a series of instructions and exercises to help your brain adjust to a weak ear signal. Remember, professional ice skaters and ballerinas learn to spin rapidly without getting dizzy. Rehabilitation classes help patients adapt to the signal imbalance coming from the ears.

You do not have a life-threatening disease. Dizziness, vomiting, and nausea are not fun, but they are not dangerous and your condition is not life-threatening. You can learn to suppress and control vertigo so they disappear altogether.