If you experience feelings of dizziness, vertigo, and other balance problems, you know first-hand how frustrating it is. Side effects and symptoms vary from person to person, but knowing and understanding everything related to dizziness or balance problems, and yours specifically, makes dealing with this disorder less overwhelming.
Read below to find out more about dizziness and balance problems and how it affects your lifestyle.
Signs and Symptoms
You might be unsure if what you have is a full-fledged balance issue or dizziness problem. Maybe you’re in denial about it. Either way, don’t chalk it up to nothing. Not only are balance issues uncomfortable, they can be serious. Depending on the disorder, symptoms can be gradual or come on all at once.
Sensations may include a spinning feeling, such as vertigo, imbalance, and overall unsteadiness. Issues may include difficulty walking on uneven surfaces or even in the dark. Feelings of dizziness while shifting during sitting are common. Rolling over that causes feelings of exaggerated motion senses; fear of falling even at a normal height; and discomfort looking at moving objects…these are some signs of dizziness and balance disorders.
Stiff muscles and neck, and overall tiredness are more symptoms you’ll feel from trying to avoid natural body movements and curb waves of dizziness. These symptoms related to balance disorders are marked by the general difficulty to maintain balance, and they can result in further issues and mental side effects, such as fear and anxiety.
General symptoms may leave you feeling confused or overwhelmed, especially as you have to readjust to new challenges in your daily routine. You could be living with a balance disorder and not know it.
How It Affects You
Your balance system includes your vision, muscles and joints, and inner ear. Dizziness tends to be an inner ear problem where the person has a dislodging of crystal structures in the inner ear that cause a physical reaction where you lose your balance.
The inner ear balance system contributes to blood flow control. As you move from lying down to sitting up, the utricle and saccule in the inner ear structure sense gravity changes and among other things tell the cardiovascular system to direct blood flow to work with the new position. When this connection isn’t working correctly, it can make you feel dizzy. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or BPPV, is the most common condition.
Balance disorders are divided into two categories: The first is dizziness, vertigo, and motion intolerance and the second is imbalance, unsteadiness and a loss of footing.
Get Help
If you’re living with dizziness or balance problems, the best thing you can do is see an audiologist. These doctoral-level experts understand balance issues to find a specific treatment that works for you. They’ll determine the cause of the dizziness or type of balance problem, and find an individual solution that meets your lifestyle.
Treatment is individual, and audiologists work to develop the right plan and solution. They’ll run hearing, balance, and related tests to determine the real issue at hand and assess your situation appropriately. Get the proper diagnosis from registered professionals and help ease the pain of living with dizziness or balance problems.
Call the professionals at Associated Audiologists today to book your appointment, and see how they can help you.
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