April 28, 2023 | Do you ever feel weak, lightheaded, like the room is spinning around you? You could have a balance disorder, 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 that lasts a long time. Experts believe that more than four out of 10 Americans, sometime in their lives, will experience an episode of dizziness significant enough to send them to a doctor. Balance disorders can be caused by certain health conditions, medications, or a problem in the inner ear or the brain. A balance disorder can impact your daily activities and cause emotional hardship.

April 28, 2023 | To maintain balance, the human body relies on three separate systems that send nerve impulses to the brain. In the neck, leg joints, torso and feet are pressure sensors that relay information to the brain about where the body is in relation to the world around it. In the inner ear, the balance system consists of three semicircular canals that contain fluid and “sensors” that detect rotational movement of the head. Each of the semicircular canals lies at a different angle and is situated at a right angle to each other. The semicircular canals deal with different movements, up-and-down, side-to-side, and tilting from one side to the other. In the eyes, the nerve endings in the retina have light-sensitive cells called rods and cones. When we look at something, light hits the retina, and the rods and cones send electrical signals to the brain through the optic nerve. The brain uses these signals to interpret what we see and creates images that help us keep our balance.

April 28, 2023 | Vertigo is a sensation of motion or spinning that is often described as dizziness. Someone with vertigo may feel like they are actually spinning or moving, or that the world is spinning around them. Changing position, such as sitting up in bed, can make it seem worse. Nausea and vomiting may accompany the vertigo at times. There are two types of vertigo, peripheral and central vertigo. Peripheral vertigo is due to a problem in the part of the inner ear that controls balance. Central vertigo is due to a problem in the brain, usually in the brain stem or the back part of the brain known as the cerebellum. Some of the symptoms can include hearing loss in one ear and difficulty in focusing the eyes. In most people, vertigo is bothersome but it is not caused by a serious problem. Treatment for vertigo aims to treat the underlying cause, relieve the bothersome symptoms and help with recovery. Surgery may be suggested in some cases.

April 28, 2023 | One of the more common balance disorders is Meniere’s disease. Meniere’s can develop at any age but most people begin to feel the symptoms, which can include hearing loss, nausea and a feeling of fullness in the ear, between the ages of 40 and 60. It usually affects only one ear. Some people with Meniere’s disease have single attacks of dizziness separated by long periods of time. Others may experience many attacks closer together over a number of days. Some affected people have vertigo so extreme that they lose their balance and fall. These episodes are called “drop attacks.” Meniere’s, while not life-threatening, can feel completely overwhelming. The symptoms arise because of a change in fluid volume within the inner ear but its underlying cause remains unknown. Many people with Meniere’s either get better on their own or can control their vertigo with diet, drugs or devices. In severe cases, surgery can end the dizziness but may affect hearing.

April 28, 2023 | Dr. John Dornhoffer, chair of the UAMS Department of Otalaryngology, says the first step in treating a balance disorder is determining the underlying cause for your balance issue. It is important to see a physician if you have dizziness for no apparent reason or problems with your balance. The physician will try to find out if there is another health condition or medication to blame. 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. Rehabilitation with a clinician who specializes in vestibular rehabilitation may be effective in minimizing or relieving some of the symptoms. An audiologist may be called on to perform an assessment to gather information about your hearing and balance function. These assessments will provide information on how to treat dizziness and balance difficulties.