Vestibular Hypofunction turns out to be a major problem that disrupts the left or right side of the body. Let’s discuss this in detail.
Varun Dhawan shares his sufferings from Vestibular Hypofunction due to his overwork and stress on his return to the big screen after COVID.
Vestibular Hypofunction
This is a complex condition that occurs due to an imbalance of the inner ear. Our ear, which is a complex system of bone and cartilage, has a semicircular canal filled with fluid that changes with our movements. This will be sensed by a sensor in our ear and this is sent to the brain for a further sense of our balance. If this balance doesn’t work correctly, it will lead to Vestibular Hypofunction.
Prof and Head of the Department of ENT at B J Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital, Dr. Sameer Joshi, said “This imbalance of the inner ear due to a leak of inner ear fluid could be due to some injuries caused by increased air /water pressure. The perfect cause should be identified and hence the person could be recovered soon.”
Consequences
- Dizziness, problems with balance in walking, driving etc
- weakens memory, learning etc
- Unable to read while moving
Preventive Measures:
Head of the Department and Consultant ENT, Cochlear Implant & Voice Disorders, Sanar International Hospitals, Gurugram,Dr.Kunal Nigam, said,” Ageing, previous ear conditions, head injury, and blood clots can cause this disease. Usually seen in the age of 30-50yrs. Blurred vision, falling, spinning of world, etc may be initial symptoms.”An inflammation of the inner ear called Labyrinthitis, blood clots, trauma, cancer, and medications may be the other causes for this.
The Director and Head of Department, Department of ENT, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Gurugram, Dr. Ravinder Gera explained its risks for elderly people .Further he explained that science Direct has published its reports about vestibular dysfunction which has otoneurological symptoms namely hearing loss, disturbances in gait, tinnitus, etc.
Senior ENT Surgeon and Sleep Specialist at Inamdar Hospital , Dr. Seemab Shaikh said”Finding out the exact cause is somewhat difficult. trauma, stress, and other disturbances may be postulated to be the causes. Although it’s not too dangerous it’s an incapacitating disorder that affects one’s daily activities.”
Treatment methods
Dr. Kunal Niam said, “The treatment mainly consists of medicines with some exercises to manage the condition. Mental health counseling is also given along with this. Early detection of the disease gives better results.”
Generally this treatment includes:
- Adding some new changes in the lifestyle such as avoiding liquors/cigarettes, doing physical activities, sticking to a perfect diet, etc.
- Doing some activities to reposition the particles in semicircular canals. These include a set of movements of the head and chest called the Epley maneuver(turning the head to 90 degrees).
- When none of the medicines works then the last option for the patient is surgery which will repair and stabilize the inner ear.
- With the help of a rehabilitation specialist, the patient can do some rehabilitation therapies too.
The physiotherapists will customize a list of exercises as per the needs of the patient. they will recommend a healthy sleep with minimal strain to the eye and provide the patient with a diet chart to follow. Driving is strictly restricted. during the treatment till the recovery period.
Preventive Measures:
- Walking
- Yoga
- Exercise
- Avoiding alcohol and smoking habits
Other Vestibular Disorders
Some of the other vestibular disorders include:
a. Acoustic neuroma; It is a condition where the tumor in the inner ear grows slowly and this will squeeze the nerve which controls hearing which can create numbness in the face.
b. Ototoxicity: some medicine that we take can cause damage to the inner ear .this leads to hearing loss and is hence named ototoxicity.
c. Vestibular migraine: Severe headache, dizziness, hearing loss, and ringing in the ears occurs when wrong signals are sent to the brain in order to balance the system.
d. Vestibular neuritis: some sort of conditions such as chickenpox etc can affect the nerve of the inner ear which causes dizziness.
e. Meniere’s disease: A sudden attack of Vertigo(feels like the world spinning around) may occur if there is too much fluid in the inner ear.
