Regain your balance, regain your life.

Balance

Do you feel like the world around you is constantly spinning? Do you feel dizzy and nauseous when you roll over in bed? Are you having difficulty walking because you just can’t seem to catch your balance, especially in the dark? You may be suffering with a balance disorder.

A balance or vestibular disorder is a condition that makes you feel unbalanced or dizzy. You may feel like the room is spinning and become quite nauseous. Or you may have a painful migraine that causes you to become extremely dizzy at onset. These are all conditions that result from balance disorders. If you are experiencing any of these, you should seek treatment right away.

Your vestibular system consists of several structures. The primary structures are the semicircular canals, utricle and saccule. Your semicircular canals help with head rotations. Your utricle helps with horizontal head movements and your saccule helps with vertical head movements.

Types of Balance Disorders

There are multiple causes of balance disorders including hearing loss, a viral infection, head injury, anxiety, depression, aging, and medical conditions. Balance problems and dizziness may also be a side effect of medications. It is important to consult with your primary care physician to see if your medications can possibly be causing your dizziness.

Diagnosing a Balance Disorder

Balance disorders may be difficult to diagnose and therefore require a series of tests. If you’re having balance issues, your ENT and/or primary physician will likely refer you to an Audiologist for a hearing test. An assessment of your hearing will be performed to see if your balance disorder may be a result of hearing loss. Since your balance system consists of your hearing, skeletal, and visual systems, it is important to thoroughly test each system to find the root cause of your condition.