Vertigo, Dizziness, and Disequilibrium

December 20, 2012

 

After seeing the ENT (ear, nose, and throat) doctor, he told me I could discontinue my physical therapy because he felt the test results from a hearing and balance Doctor were inconclusive. So off I went for more testing: M I R and Sonogram of the neck to check for vascular issues or tumors. No tumors or blood clots were found. Next I was scheduled to see a neurologist at University medical school. All I knew was you have to wait months to see the specialists plus, none of them agree on what is causing the problem. I've learned more about the kinds of vertigo and balance issues on the Internet.

My problems started out as a major vertigo episode back in August that landed me in the hospital. I have also experienced dizziness, and this disequilibrium which can be the result of the dysfunction of the balance organs of the inner ear. This is called a peripheral vestibular disorder.

I have been amazed at how complicated it is to be able to walk upright without falling over, or not getting dizzy for days at a time. There is also a central vestibular disorder, which is a dysfunction of one or more of parts of the central nervous system that helps with balance.

• Dizziness: can be described as light headedness, faintness or unsteadiness. It does not include "Room spinning".
  
• Vertigo: is actually the perception of movement or whirling or "room spinning" of the self or the room.
  
• Disequilibrium: unsteadiness, imbalance, or spatial orientation.
  
• Spatial Disorientation: sensation of not knowing where one's body is in relation to the vertical and horizontal plan.
  

Vestibular Disorders Association, "Causes of Dizziness", www.vestibular.org.

 

I have experienced all of these since August. I was slowly improving to where I didn't need a cane for after 3 days a week. However, walking any distance, like a mall or the market – I was pretty slow and often looked like I was drunk. On really good days I've been able to work as a substitute teacher. Walking down the hallway of students was a challenge. There were some students I may have had thoughts of smacking with my cane!

Some doctors think I have a vestibular disorder because of how the dizziness presents when I am moving, standing up, walking, turning around, etc. The body maintains its balance by a multi-system of signals. It begins in the inner air with signals from tiny balance organ. They work with the visual system so you can know where you are standing, sitting, and lying down. These visual organs can also keep objects from moving when your head moves. The 3rd system is the touch sensors in your feed, trunk, spine and scan. As a result, the sensory input from these 3 systems: vestibular (inner ear), vision, and touch sensors send balance signals to your brain, which processes them to send feedback to your eyes and muscle to help maintain balance and posture. There are more than a dozen different balance disorders. I feel like I have had them all.