Balance Disorders

What is a Balance Disorder? A balance disorder is a conditoin 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.There are many causes of balance disorders, such as medications, ear infections,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 with age. Your otolaryngologist(ENT specialist) may ask you have a hearing exam, blood tests, an electrony stigmogram which tests eye movements and the muscles that control them, or imaging images of your head and brain .Another test is posturography. Your doctor will determine if another health condition or a medication is to blame.Stopping smoking, anti-vertigo or antinausea medications may help, but may cause drowsiness. In severe cases of Meniere’s Disease, surgery on the vestibular organs may be needed. GENTAMYCIN and CORTICOSTEROIDS may help.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…talk to your doctor whether it is safe to drive, as well as ways to lower your risk of falling and getting hurt during daily activities, like walking up or down stairs, use the bathroom, or exercise. Avoid walking in the dark, wear low-heeled shoes, use a cane or a walker, add handrails at home and at work. Studies are being done on stem cells,and vestibular prosthesis.