Health

3 Common Balance Disorders You Should Be Aware Of

Indeed, coordination ensures balance, walking, hearing, and engaging in other activities. However, more often than not, the ability to remain steady is not always the perfect case. Already, 20% of senior citizens between the ages of sixty-five and seventy-four have balance disorders—the percentage increases to 25% among seventy-five-year-olds. If you’re interested in knowing more, please read further for insight into this topic. 

Labyrinthitis

The Labyrinth is the inner part of the ear that contains the vestibular system. However, when an infection happens there, the condition is known as Labyrinthitis. Labyrinthitis comes with balance issues primarily because it plays a role in keeping the body steady without toppling. Therefore, automatically, an inflammation in there will affect your balance. Unfortunately, Labyrinthitis can happen suddenly without prior warning.

According to hearing specialists, Labyrinthitis is frequently a viral infection that can clear up on its own. However, when the cause is bacterial, the ENT specialist may prescribe antibiotics to help clear the infection. Although this condition is quite common among persons with hearing disorders, there are various types of Labyrinthitis. Therefore, the specialist needs to determine the exact diagnosis for the appropriate treatment and management.

Vertigo

Although Vertigo is a condition, it is not a disease by itself. Instead, it is more of a symptom of an underlying condition. Vertigo is the sudden sensation of dizziness when the head moves too quickly. In other cases, a person might experience an internal spinning sensation when the head is tilted backward or when a person gets up suddenly from a seated position. Moreover, others complain of this sudden dizziness when getting out of bed or rolling over.

Vertigo is a highly uncomfortable sensation that often leads to loss of balance and falls.

Sometimes, such falls result in avoidable injuries. In ideal situations, the tiny natural crystals contained in the ear stick together as a unit. However, when they break apart or become loose, the body interprets them as debris and reacts by presenting vertigo symptoms. Fortunately, vertigo treatment is readily available at specialized Ear, Nose and Throat clinics. However, a more common treatment is careful maneuvering of the head to rearrange displaced crystals within the ear.

Vestibular neuritis

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This balance disorder is known by another name – neuronitis. It happens when an inflammation of the vestibular nerve occurs. Inflammation can be a result of an infection (viral or bacterial) or injury to the nerve. In many cases with neuronitis, only one ear is affected. However, the sufferers cannot walk, stand, or sit in severe cases. Furthermore, neuronitis is characterized by the following:

  • Nausea & vomiting.
  • Impaired concentration
  • Vision problems

Unfortunately, for some people, vestibular neuritis is a chronic disorder that requires lifelong management. However, it can take weeks for symptoms to disappear gradually in mild to moderate cases, while severe cases may take longer. 

In conclusion, all these balance disorders stem from the inner ear because it is crucial for balance coordination. Sometimes, when detected early, the symptoms resolve as quickly as they came. On the other hand, an otherwise mild case can progress into a chronic condition without medical diagnosis and treatment.

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