Posts Tagged ‘vestibular disorder’
21 Aug
Join us on Twitter!
LifeStyle is on twitter – come join us and “be our friend”!
We provide daily vestibular disorder tips on twitter as well as 140-word-or-less tweets on vestibular disorders.
17 Aug
Dr. Hain and the 3rd Vestibular Support Group
Our most recent Vestibular Support Group, held at LifeStyle’s office in Chicago, increased in attendance and we had our first guest speaker, Dr. Timothy Hain. Chicago’s “dizzy doctor”, as many patients call him, is a neurologist with Chicago Dizziness and Hearing as well as a Professor of Neurology and Otolaryngology at Northwestern University Medical School.
Dr. Hain began his discussion with an overview of the different definitions of dizziness and the reasons for dizziness. Patients go to doctors for many reasons and use the term “dizziness” and it could refer to many things, whether it’s vertigo, or a sensation of motion, ataxia, an unsteadiness, or lightheadedness/faintness.
Almost 50% of dizziness stems from your ear, but that means that about 50% of dizziness stems from something else (including brain trauma, psychological reasons, and other medical reasons).
Dr. Hain then gave an overview of BPPV, Meniere’s disease, vestibular neuritis and bilateral vestibular loss. He gave great insight and even case examples about the different vestibular disorders. Dr. Hain discussed studies that are being conducted on mice (no humans yet) to regenerate damaged, non-working hair cells within ones ear – which are the cells that are the sensory receptors for the vestibular system – humans are not able to regenerate damanged cells while birds are able to.
Dr. Hain also discussed the use of Betahistine in the treatment of Meniere’s Disease – while not FDA legal in the US, the Europeans widely use the product. For an overview and Dr. Hain’s review of the drug, please go to: http://www.dizziness-and-balance.com/treatment/serc.html
For more information on Chicago’s VSG, please send an email to: info@balancechicago.com.
13 Aug
Reminder: Vestibular Support Group on Saturday!
Our Vestibular Support Group will be held this Saturday, August 15th at LifeStyle: 3130 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60657. We already have a fantastic RSVP list but would like to have more. Dr. Timothy Hain, a renowned neurologist from Chicago Dizziness and Hearing, will be speaking at the meeting. Bring your family, friends, and support systems. Light refreshments at 11:30am, meeting starts at 12:00pm.
For more information or to RSVP, contact info@balancechicago.com.
10 Aug
Maximizing the Office Visit
Keeping a diary before going on your office visit for a balance problem is a great way to be prepared for the questions your doctor may ask. These are some routine questions that your general practitioner and/or neurologist may ask. By writing down the following information before the office visit, you may save yourself a follow up visit to that same doctor!
Frequency of dizziness:
- How often do you have dizziness or other symptoms of a balance problem?
- Do you feel dizzy or have a vertigo attack after eating certain foods that contain high levels of salt, alcohol or caffeine?
- How do weather systems affect your symptoms?
- Have you ever fallen? If so, when, where and how often?
Medications:
- What medications are you taking? Remember to include all over-the-counter medications, including antihistamines and sleep aids.
- Do you take any supplements beyond a multi-vitamin, such as St. John’s Wort, Ginko Biloba, etc.?
Other Medical Conditions:
- Do you have another medical condition(s)? If so, do you take any medication for this condition?
10 Aug
You Don’t Have to be Dizzy
We recently received this e-mail from one of our former patients.
“I wanted to let you know that I am doing very well with my balance & stability. I’ve had no dizziness episodes – I am hiking, cycling, playing tennis……I am feeling great and stable while being active. The physical therapy was awesome! I continue to do the exercises at home…”
T.P. 6/24/09
9 Aug
October 29, 1916
On October 29, 1916, an article was published in the NY Times that states that from the research and works of several individuals, it has been verified that vertigo (or seasickness as they call it) results from an imbalance in the inner ear. In the article it states that vertigo was often thought of as an intestinal or digestive disorder brought upon by indigestion or stomachaches.
In 1900, the relationship between vertigo and the inner ear was first established and many tests ensued. In one experiment, animals were rocked on a moving floor that simulated a rolling sea and it resulted in the animals getting seasick. The head researcher, Kreidl, then severed the eighth nerve (the acoustic/auditory nerve). The same experiment was then conducted on the moving floor and the animals did not get sick.
1916 was the beginning of the acknowledgement that vertigo was the distinct result of the “disturbance of the vestibular apparatus”. A lot of things were proven in the years leading up to 1916, such as champagne giving relief to vertigo symptoms (see last paragraph of the article) and the causes of vertigo “no longer be[ing] regarded as vague or mysterious”.
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=950CE1DA113CE733A2575AC2A9669D946796D6CF
7 Aug
Recognizing Children’s Vestibular Problems
As stated in previous blog entries, children can easily have symptoms of vestibular disorders without their parents knowledge. Whether it’s because of a child’s lack of ability to communicate the disorder or the reduced likelihood of children having vestibular disorders than adults is questionable. What we do want to know is how to recognize these disorders as early as possible. If you suspect your child may have a vestibular disorder:
1) Notice how your child reacts to typical childhood activities on the playground. If he’s uncomfortable with movement, he may resist rides down the slide or opportunities to swing. If he needs intense movement he may never seem satisfied with how high he goes or how fast he spins.
2) Think about your child’s reaction to new situations involving movement. If she’s uncomfortable with movement, she may avoid the situation or move extremely slowly. Children who under respond to movement, may move too quickly, and appear risky in their behavior.
3) Reflect on how your child reacts to elevators. Children who are uncomfortable with movement may refuse to go on escalators or elevators. Some children experience nausea when riding in the car.
4) Observe your child’s behavior while going up and down stairs or stepping off curbs. If he holds too tightly to the banister or appears overly serious, he may have gravitational insecurity.
5) Recognize that a child may have a vestibular sensory problem if she seems to crave excessive movement, such as jumping, bouncing, spinning or rocking. She may twirl repeatedly but never appear dizzy.
6) Talk to your child’s school about her behavior in class. Ask the teacher if she fidgets frequently. Many children with vestibular problems need to move frequently to feel where they are in space.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2156887_recognize-childrens-vestibular-sense-problems.html
30 Jul
The Inner Ear
The Ear
The ear consists of the outer ear, which collects and directs soundwaves into the middle ear. The middle ear collects these soundwaves and transforms them into vibrations which are passed into the inner ear. The inner ear propogates these vibrations, in the cochlea, as waves in fluid and membranes, and transmits them as nerve impulses that are transmitted to the brain through the auditory nerve.(1)
Inner Ear
This inner ear, or bony labyrinth, consists of the cochlea (which transmits soundwaves to the nerve impulse to be transmitted to the brain) and the vestibular system. The vestibular system controls an individual’s balance and is comprised of three semicircular canals and the otoliths (utricle and saccule). The semicircular canals detect rotational movement while the otoliths detect linear movements. (2)
Balance Chicago 