Dizziness is the third most common complaint to doctors, exceeded only by headaches and lower back pain. The National Institute of Health and Johns Hopkins’s statistics indicate that dizziness is the number one complaint of patients over age 70. More importantly, dizziness and vertigo can affect people throughout a lifetime and this is clearly represented by the fact that dizziness is the third most commonly reported complaint to physicians.
Dizzy patients often report that they have made several visits to physicians and were told that nothing could be done or that they would simply have to learn to live with their dizziness complaint. If you are experiencing a sensation of vertigo or spinning or unsteadiness when you are walking, I suggest you do the following:
Schedule an appointment with an audiologist to have your hearing thoroughly evaluated since your hearing and balance mechanisms are closely related.
Specialized testing should be performed to evaluate your inner ear mechanism. Tests may include ENG, electrocochleography and/or computerized dynamic posturography evaluation.
Specialized diagnostic testing can often pinpoint abnormalities in your vestibular system (inner ear), visual system and/or proprioceptive system (muscular skeletal). Quite often, vestibular rehabilitation or balance retraining therapy can either eliminate and/or significantly improve the complaint of dizziness and/or balance dysfunction.
If you or if you know of someone who is suffering from dizziness and/or balance dysfunction, I suggest that you make an appointment for a thorough diagnostic evaluation.
Dr. Izzy and his staff are always available to answer your questions about hearing care. Feel free to visit our website at www.gardenstatehearing.com
