What are the most common symptoms of vestibular disorders?

A vestibular system present in the inner ear comprises vestibular nerves and cochlea. They are responsible for sending sensory signals from the inner ear to the brain that helps in regulating the balance of the body, hearing, and eye movements.

Any inflammation, injury, or disorder in the vestibular nerves or cochlea results in causing vestibular disorders that often result in making a person feel dizzy all of a sudden. The sensory message sent from the inner ear to the brain is not properly communicated. The interrupted message thus results in making a person lose balance and feel dizzy. 

Dizziness, difficulty in maintaining balance & vertigo are some of the most common symptoms that come along with the vestibular disorder. Apart from it, one may even experience difficulty in hearing ability and conflicted eye movements. Vertigo conditions affect the quality of life and simple activities like walking, jogging, etc. seem a tiring task. Sudden occurrence of repeated vertigo bouts makes it difficult for a person to live with it. Vertigo dizziness may occur anytime without any warning signs. It may prove to be life-threatening if it appears when one is driving amidst traffic or lifting heavyweights.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), Labyrinthitis, Vestibular neuritis, Meniere’s disease, Perilymphatic fistula, Acoustic neuroma, Vestibular migraine, etc. are some of the most common vestibular disorders commonly diagnosed in patients.

It is advised to seek medical help as soon as you start experiencing any symptoms of Vestibular disorders. An expert neurologist will diagnose the condition closely and will carry a series of vertigo tests to diagnose the underlying condition. He would suggest the right Vestibular disorders treatment as per the condition and advise to practice vertigo exercises daily at home for up to 3-4 weeks to ease the condition.

In this article, we will share some of the most common symptoms of Vestibular disorders that are generally experienced by patients. Let’s dig in to get more insight into the symptoms of vestibular disorders!

Most common symptoms of vestibular disorders

The symptoms of the vestibular disorder may range from mild to severe and in some cases even remain persistent. It entirely depends on the severity of the condition. A person experiencing vestibular disorders becomes overly anxious and lazy due to the emergence of symptoms every now and then. Simple activities like getting out of the bed in the morning, accomplishing daily and official chores, simple walking or running, etc. become a tremendous task to accomplish and the functioning of the body becomes extremely slow. The symptoms may vary from person to person depending on the severity of the condition. Here is a list of vestibular disorder symptoms experienced by patients. If you are experiencing the vestibular disorder, you may experience a set of symptoms or either of them. Let’s have a look at some:

1. Dizziness and Vertigo spells

A sensation of spinning where a room or nearby environment seems to spin around or you may feel you are spinning all by yourself, which in reality is static is known as vertigo.

Sudden bouts of vertigo spells can occur anytime without any warning. The slightest movement in the position of the head triggers the symptoms even further. Getting up suddenly from a specific position or waking up suddenly in the morning after a long sleep contributes to trigger vertigo conditions.

A person experiencing the vestibular disorder may feel lightheaded and experience sudden bouts of dizziness. Apart from vertigo and dizziness spells, one may experience a sensation of being pulled in one direction.

2. Balance Issues

Difficulty in maintaining body balance is one of the most common symptoms of vestibular disorder. One may experience difficulty in walking or even changing positions, maintaining straight posture, coordinating. Apart from it, Imbalance issues, stumbling, clumsiness, tilting of the head in one direction, and so on are some of the other scenarios experienced by patients of vestibular disorder.

3. Changes in vision

Vision changes are experienced by patients of vestibular disorders. They experience changes in vision which make it difficult for them to focus or track objects with eyes. Some patients may even experience a blurry or a doubled vision which directly affects the quality of life by hampering daily chores. The vestibular disorder results in causing discomfort from visual stimuli. Crowded environments like traffic, stores, markets, etc. trigger the condition even further. Some people may even experience sensitivity to flashy or fluorescent lights which may create a lot of trouble for the patients experiencing vestibular disorders as they find it difficult to work on screens. Night blindness and difficulty in walking in the dark are an addon that makes the condition worse.

4. Changes in hearing ability

Not all but some patients may experience changes in hearing ability. Hearing loss or fluctuations in hearing & sensitivity to loud noises are experienced by the patients suffering from vestibular disorders. Apart from it, some may even experience tinnitus due to the underlying condition of vestibular disorder.

A ringing, hissing, buzzing, or whistling sensation in the inner ear without any external sound is known as tinnitus.

If one is experiencing tinnitus due to vestibular disorder, exposure to loud noises makes symptoms like vertigo and dizziness intense.

5. Cognitive issues

Patients of the vestibular disorder are easily distracted as they experience difficulty in concentrating. Apart from it, confusion, disorientation, short-term memory lapses are other cognitive issues experienced along with vestibular disorders. It becomes nearly impossible for a patient to understand and concentrate on conversations with a noisy background.

6. Psychological issues

It is difficult to deal with a situation that hampers the quality of life. A person suffering from vestibular disorders may experience anxiety, panic attacks, social isolation, depression, loss of self-reliance, self-confidence, self-esteem, and so on.

7. Some other common symptoms

Apart from the major symptoms discussed above, patients of vestibular disorders may even experience nausea, vomiting, motion sickness, fullness in the ears, headaches, and slurred speech as well.

If you are experiencing any of the above-mentioned symptoms, consult a health care professional immediately. An expert doctor will examine your condition closely by seeking a complete medical history and carrying various tests. He would suggest the right Vestibular disorders treatment accordingly and prescribe certain antibiotics and vertigo exercises to alleviate the condition completely.