Treatment & CareBalance ProgramCommon Types of Vestibular Disease

Common Types of Vestibular Disease

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)

This is a disorder that causes vertigo, dizziness and other symptoms due to displaced Otoconia. Otoconia are small crystals that when in the correct place, help with balance. When they move to other areas where they don't belong, they can cause balance disturbances.

Labyrinthitis & Vestibular Neuritis

These are disorders resulting from an infection that inflames the inner ear or the auditory nerve (the eighth cranial nerve which connects the inner ear to the brain).

Meniere's Syndrome

This includes fluctuating hearing loss usually in one ear, pressure in the ear, ringing in one ear and episodes of spinning.

Symptoms

These are symptoms of a balance disorder:

  • Dizziness
  • Feeling off-balance
  • Feeling as if you are floating or as if the world is spinning around you
  • Blurred vision
  • Disorientation
  • Falling or stumbling

Less common symptoms include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, anxiety, fear, and changes in your heart's rhythm.

Complications

These are possible complications of a balance disorder:

  • Injury because of an increased risk of falling
  • Reduced quality of life
  • Discomfort