Common Types of Balance Disorders

Improved healthcare has increased the lifespan of the average American. The Baby Boomer generation is also aging. In the United States, the number of people above 65 years of age is increasing and those in the 85-years-and-more bracket constitute the largest segment of the populace. In such a scenario, it becomes imperative that the elderly and their caregivers acquaint themselves with the common types of balance disorders that usually afflict an aged person.

The following are some common balance disorders that an aged person may suffer from:

• Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV): This is a brief but intense period of vertigo where patients report feeling that they are spinning when they look high up or low down or over their shoulders. Some people also experience BPPV when they roll in bed. One of the most common balance disorders in the elderly, BPPV may also be caused by an injury to the head.

• Labyrinthitis: This is a condition when the inner ear is infected or is inflamed may be due to an infection in the upper respiratory tract like flu. The symptoms are feelings of dizziness and loss of balance.

• Ménière’s Disease: Although it is amongst the more common of all the balance disorders afflicting the elderly, the cause of this condition is not known for sure. The symptoms of this disease include vertigo, fluctuating hearing loss, and feelings of fullness, buzzing, and ringing in the ear.

• Vestibular Neuronitis: Like many other balance disorders of the elderly, this disease also manifests primarily in vertigo symptoms.

• Acoustic Neuroma: This is a medical condition where a non-cancerous growth on the acoustic nerve, which connects the inner ear to the brain, causes loss of balance, feelings of dizziness, loss of hearing, and ringing and buzzing in the ears.

Thankfully, we, at PrimeMedical (San Pedro, CA), have specialized geriatric doctors who can successfully treat the above-mentioned balance disorders and other accompanying symptoms. Balance disorders may be debilitating and even increase the chances of slipping, falling, and injuring in aged people. So make haste and call us at 310-548-0201 for an appointment.