What are the symptoms of vertigo and other balance disorders

Have you ever felt like the room is spinning? Even more disorienting, have you ever felt like you’re spinning while the room is staying still? If you’ve ever experienced a chronic balance issue, you know that dizziness and balance problems can make it difficult to live your life. The balance system is complex, involving a series of muscles, joints, nerves – even your eyes and inner ear. Fortunately, specialists can treat many different types of balance disorders. There are more than a dozen different balance disorders, but below we’ve summarized some of the most common.

Common Balance Disorders: Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or BPPV, is one of the most common causes of vertigo. If you have BPPV, you may experience an intense episode of vertigo when you change the position of your head. During these episodes, you may feel as if you’re spinning when you, say, turn your head to look over your shoulder at something behind you. Other symptoms may include loss of balance, nausea and vomiting, and abnormal rhythmic eye movements, which your doctor can detect. BPPV can result from head trauma, or it can be a complication associated with other chronic conditions. Fortunately, BPPV is rarely serious and easily treatable with a few easy in-office procedures.

Labyrinthitis

Labyrinthitis is another common balance issue caused by an inner ear infection. If you have labyrinthitis, the infection typically inflames a delicate inner ear structure called the labyrinth. This can affect your hearing and balance, leading to symptoms like dizziness and vertigo, nausea and vomiting, tinnitus, and potentially hearing loss. Your doctor can employ a specific battery of tests to diagnose and treat this infection.

Ménière’s Disease

While labyrinthitis results from sudden inflammation of the labyrinth, Ménière’s disease is a chronic condition that involves a change in fluid volume within the labyrinth. The cause of Ménière’s disease is currently unknown; however, doctors can typically diagnose it based on hearing loss, tinnitus, episodes of vertigo, and a feeling of uncomfortable fullness in the ear. There are a variety of medications available to treat the condition, including diuretics and anti-nausea medication.

Vestibular Neuronitis

Like labyrinthitis, vestibular neuritis is thought to be the result of inflammation. However, this inflammation occurs in the vestibular portion of the eighth cranial nerve, which helps bring sound directly to the brain. Symptoms include vertigo, nausea, and potential gait imbalance. Finally, vestibular neuritis is typically caused by a virus, and it is treatable, with most symptoms resolving in a few days or weeks.

Mal de Debarquement Syndrome

While most other balance disorders are the result of trauma or chronic conditions, Mal de Debarquement Syndrome (MdDS) has a very specific external cause. This balance disorder makes you feel as though you’re continuously rocking or bobbing, and it results after exposure to an unfamiliar movement – say, walking on the deck of a ship as it bobs in the water – and the subsequent removal of that movement – like when you’re back on land. Most symptoms go away within a matter of hours; however, some patients experience chronic symptoms for months or even years.

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While balance disorders often cause similar symptoms – issues like vertigo, dizziness, or hearing problems – they can have dramatically different effects. This applies to treatment, as well. For fast, effective relief, make sure to reach out to a dizziness and balance expert.

Are you struggling with a balance disorder? Are you in need of medical advice and wondering where to turn? Reach out to the professionals at the National Dizzy & Balance Center. We specialize in diagnosing and treating vestibular disorders, including concussions and ongoing dizziness. Our talented team members can evaluate the extent of your concussion and design a personalized plan to relieve your symptoms. To learn more about our approach to dizziness management, please contact us online or by phone. Or if you’re ready to get started, schedule your free medical consultation today.