Help With Loss of Balance and Dizziness in Kansas City

Associated Audiologists offers a comprehensive dizziness and imbalance clinic for our patients. This clinic uses state-of-the-art technology to evaluate individuals suffering from dizziness, balance problems, and/or who have a history of falls related to inner-ear disorders. The program is staffed by Danielle Dorner, Au.D., Vestibular Audiologist. She sees patients at our Overland Park Clinic.

Problems affecting the equilibrium system often cause difficulties related to dizziness and imbalance. The term dizziness can mean many things. Patients often describe symptoms including lightheadedness, blurred vision, a feeling of faintness, spinning (vertigo), weakness and general unsteadiness. Individuals with imbalance often have a history or fear of falls. Imbalance is often made worse when walking in the dark or on uneven surfaces. Patients with equilibrium disorders can experience a wide variety of less common symptoms as well.

Are You Living With Dizziness or Balance Problems?

Approximately one-third of those between 65 to 75 years of age report that dizziness and imbalance affect the quality of their lives. With modern medical advancements, much can be done to help. In fact, 90% of the time, these disorders can be successfully managed with proper evaluation. If you are experiencing dizziness or imbalance, you may not need to “learn to live with it.”

Imbalance and Dizziness Facts

  • According to the Morbidity and Mortality Report, in the United States, about one in four adults (28%) age 65 and older, report falling each year. This results in about 36 million falls annually. While not all falls result in an injury, about 37% of those who fall reported an injury that required medical treatment or restricted their activity for at least one day, resulting in an estimated 8 million fall injuries.
  • Falls among adults 65 and older caused over 34,000 deaths in 2019, making it the leading cause of injury death for that group, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
  • One large epidemiological study estimates that as many as 35% of adults aged 40 years or older in the United States—approximately 69 million Americans—have experienced some form of vestibular dysfunction. (Vestibular Disorders Association).
  • According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), 4% (8 million) of American adults report a chronic problem with balance, while an additional 1.1% (2.4 million) report a chronic problem with dizziness alone. Eighty percent of people aged 65 years and older have experienced dizziness.
  • BPPV, the most common vestibular disorder, is the cause of approximately 50% of dizziness in older people. Overall, vertigo from a vestibular problem accounts for one-third of all dizziness and vertigo symptoms reported to healthcare professionals. (NIDCD).

Learn More About Dizziness and Imbalance