Balance and Dizziness

The balance system itself is a 3 legged animal. It is dependent on your eyes to inform of your orientation, your muscles and joints, which inform you of any postural changes, and your inner ear which acts to inform you of your orientation relative to gravity and any ongoing changes. Dizziness signifies a problem with the balance system.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo or BPPV is the most common cause of vertigo. Those with BPPV commonly report dizziness occurring with head movements such as looking up, turning over in bed or bending down.

Meniere’s disease is a symptom complex that includes fluctuating hearing loss, tinnitus (ringing or buzzing in the ear), fullness in the ear, and dizziness. The typical episodes of dizziness that the affected individual experiences is where the environment or the individual themselves feel as though they are moving when they are not. The usual duration is several hours.

The site of origin of this disorder is the inner ear. It is felt that Meniere’s disease is a disorder that arises secondary to the presence of excessive fluid within the inner ear.

Though most often associated with headaches, migraines can manifest as dizziness in more than a quarter of individuals. Migraine associated dizziness, like the headaches, often have triggers, which may include allergic triggers.

The inner ear is the organ not only of hearing but also of balance. Allergy is a common cause of hearing and balance disorders. This is thought to occur secondary to a fluid overload within the inner ear.

A relatively uncommon condition, approximately 2000-3000 individuals are newly diagnosed each year in the U.S. with acoustic neuroma. It is a benign tumor based on the balance nerve.