Balances issues can be a real bother and actually point to an undiagnosed balance issue. These issues are treated daily by our otolaryngologist in Orlando, Florida. Today, we are going to share more about balance issues and the actual balance testing performed by our doctors that offer hearing services.
What is causing my balance issues?:
As we began to explain last week, Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, or vertigo for short. This issue causes a person to feel the sense of motion when they aren’t moving at all. Vertigo is caused by calcium crystals in the inner ear becoming dislodged from their normal position.
Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo is the most common cause of vertigo in adults according to the Mayo Clinic. People may feel this sensation when they turn their head quickly. Likewise, someone could experience this odd sense of motion when looking up from reading a book.
There are additional causes of vertigo, so here we go. Meniere’s Disease may cause off and on hearing loss. It may also cause buzzing, ringing, or a feeling of fulness in the ear. The cause of Meniere’s Disease isn’t fully known quite yet.
Meniere’s disease is not fully understood because it is rare. This lack of ability to study it further limits the knowledge of this disease. Although, doctors do know it usually develops in people between twenty to forty years old.
Migraines cause balance issues. More specifically, vestibular migraines cause dizziness and sensitivity to motion. This can happen to certain people during a migraine headache. Migraines are common causes of balance issues.
A slow-growing, benign, meaning noncancerous, tumor can develop on a nerve that affects a person’s hearing or balance. This benign tumor is called an acoustic neuroma. A person with an acoustic neuroma may experience dizziness or loss of balance. However, the most common symptoms are hearing loss and ringing in the ear.
Rest easy as acoustic neuroma is very rare condition. But you may have this if all other common causes are ruled out.
An inflammatory disorder called vestibular neuritis affects the nerves in the balance portion of your ear. It is most likely caused by a virus. Be aware, symptoms are often severe and persistent. Nausea and difficulty walking are two very obvious symptoms of vestibular neuritis. All of the symptoms may last several days but eventually dissipate on their own and without treatment.
Of course, if you have suffered a head injury, you may feel balance issues. This is a very obvious and elementary cause of balance issues. But we would just like to be informative and give you a run down of the most common causes of balance issues. Patients may not need to seek doctors that work in hearing services if a primary care or emergency care doctor already treated a patient for a head injury.
Stay still, but issues persist:
Motion sickness is a doozy. If you have ever experienced this before, you know that balance doesn’t exactly come naturally while experiencing motion sickness symptoms. The whole room may feel as if its spinning after getting off of a boat ride.
Similarly, many people get dizzy and experience balance issues riding in a car or other modes of transportation. People that experience migraines are more susceptible to balance issues. So before you take that cruise, get prepared with motion sickness medicine or remedies.
Persistent postural-perceptual dizziness is a disorder which occurs frequently with other types off vertigo. Symptoms of Persistent postural-perceptual dizziness include unsteadiness or a sense of motion in your head. With this disorder, symptoms usually worsen as patients watch objects move, while they read, or when they are in a visually complex area such as a theme park.
How to diagnose balance issues:
Patients can go about getting their balance issues diagnosed with balance testing. To do so, a patient will visit a hearing doctor, or otolaryngologist. The physician will review the patients medical history as well as conduct a physical and neurological examination.
For the otolaryngologist to determine whether the patient’s symptoms are caused by problems in the balance function of the inner ear, quite a few tests may be recommended. First off, hearing tests are up for order. Difficulty hearing is often associated with balance issues.
A posturography test is also useful to your hearing doctor. This test is performed by the patient wearing a safety harness. The patient will try to remain standing on a platform. The posturography test will show the doctor which parts of the balance system you rely on most.
Next time, we will further discuss the ways an otolaryngologist and audiologist at Orlando Hearing Hearing Center will work on your balance issues. All issues should be revealed but also resolved.
Make an appointment today if you are having trouble hearing, balancing, or experience migraines. Come back next time for more!
Staff Writer
