Balance Disorders

Most people at one time or another in their lives have experienced some type of “dizziness” associated with lightheadedness, an imbalance disorder, or the spinning sensation commonly known as vertigo. In fact, dizziness is the second most common complaint physicians hear from their geriatric patients. There is a close relationship between the hearing and balance systems because they share the same space in the inner ear.

The inner ear is comprised of two parts, the cochlea that houses the sensory organs responsible for our hearing, and the semicircular canals that help us maintain our balance. We call the semicircular canals and the nerve that links them to the brain, the vestibular system. This system works in conjunction with other important systems, such as the visual and the tactile senses, to maintain balance.

If your have any of the following symptoms, please call Metro Hearing Services Balance, Dizziness and Vestibular Center at (602) 866-0147.

Symptoms of peripheral vestibular dysfunction include:

• Severe nausea and/or vomiting
• Mild imbalance
• Feeling of lightheadedness
• Hearing loss
• Feeling of fullness in the ears

Causes of dizziness disorders include:

• Viral or bacterial infections of the inner ear
• Meniere's disease
• Tumors of the vestibular nerve
• Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)

Treatments of dizziness disorders include:

• Screening for hearing loss
• Repositioning therapy
• Surgery

Note: BPPV is a common type of dizziness associated with brief episodes of vertigo when the head is moving up or down, or rolling over in bed. Typically, the episode lasts 10-60 seconds then goes away. BPPV affects more men than women. Sometimes BPPV resolves itself.