Our neurologists will determine the cause of your symptoms, such as dizziness, and recommend courses of treatment that may greatly improve your quality of life. To diagnose dizziness and balance problems, our neurologists conduct a thorough office examination, referred to as Vestibular Testing. This process allows them to make a diagnosis and offer effective courses of treatment for the patient.
Sometimes balance problems are caused by Benign Positional Vertigo causing those affected to feel nausea, lose their balance and prevent simple normal activities from being accomplished. A new procedure called Canalith Repositioning can eliminate this problem in many.
One of the most common cause of vertigo in people over 65 is benign positional dizziness that occurs while the person is bending over, looking up and lying down. This is a serious problem in the elderly and can cause falls that result in accidental deaths.
The balance system in the inner ear involves a set of three semicircular canals, and tubes of fluids. This “utricle” is lined with nerve filaments, beneath a pad of gravity-sensing crystals, called otoliths. During the aging process the otoliths are released from the utricle and work their way into the semicircular canal. Here they float in the fluid and normal head movements can cause the otoliths to stimulate nerve endings, resulting in vertigo.
Our neurologists also treat patients with Meniere’s disease. This illness is characterized by episodes of vertigo lasting anywhere from 15 minutes to 24 hours, hearing loss and ringing of the ears.
Antibiotics or viral infections can cause damage to the nerves that result in patients feeling less than stable when walking or stepping down. Vestibular Rehabilitation and Balance Retraining is extremely effective in restoring balance and teaches patients to use a process of adaptation and compensation.
Often people think that they are losing their balance because they are aging but it is not a normal part of the aging process. If you are experiencing problems with dizziness and balance, the neurologists of Sunrise Medical Group urge you to seek consultation and treatment.