Equilibrium/Balance Issues

[Motorad]

Hello all. 66 years old and wondering if any of you have experienced equilibrium and/or balance issues. Following is a thread to introduce this issue:
< https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/balance-problems/symptoms-causes/syc-20350474 >. My symptoms are less of dizziness and vertigo and more of equilibrium and sensation of losing balance. The symptoms started all of a sudden at around 4:00 pm a week ago and have been with me since then. The sense of unbalance is increased, and sometimes significantly, if having to move and position my head in quick sequence. Here are questions: (1) Is this a permanent predicament? (2) How are the symptoms diagnosed by the medical folks to determine the cause? (3) What are common treatments and how successful can treatments be? Peace.

 

[Dd852]

Get checked by an ENT. My wife had this and they found a pressure issue in her ears. She has a lot of other problems at the moment but at least the vertigo went away with antihistamines and exercises with a specialist physiotherapist.

 

[W2R]

I am considerably older than you, almost 75, and a few years ago I started to have similar balance issues. So, I use a rollator walker. This gives me something to hang onto in case I lose my balance and start to fall. Actually after a few falls I also started "fall-proofing" my home by doing various things such as removing potential obstacles and throw rugs, as well as ordering the walker off of Amazon. Problem solved.

Using a walker is probably a lot easier for me because I'm older and look old, so nobody thinks it's a bit unusual for me to use a walker. I have become accustomed to it and don't mind using my walker at all. It's just the practical thing to do.

In my case, the symptoms do not seem terribly severe so I never asked my doctor about them (although I told him why I was using a walker and he thought that was fine). Many of the older women I have talked to and met, have mild to moderate balance issues similar to mine.

 

[MRG]

You should get an appointment now with your primary care. Sudden onset dizziness can be a sign of other serious problems.

I've posted before about dizziness as I had a big problem right after I retired. The diagnostic process was a bunch of CTs to make sure about the state of my balance centers. After that was ruled out, a balance therapist was involved. I worked with him for weeks, much like physical therapy.

Dizziness can be a complex problem. Get a good team of your primary, ENT, and a balance therapist, and you can be significantly better in weeks or months.

 

[donheff]

I would see a doc ASAP. Sudden changes like that should be investigated. There are lots of potential culprits, many of which are not significant and easily treated. Other causes could be serious. Find out what is going on.

 

[DrRoy]

You have experienced a condition that needs to be identified. I am 64 and have not had something like that happen yet. Took a rocky, steep, hike yesterday and did OK. An occasional stumble, but nothing out of the ordinary.

 

[O2Bfree]

I've had such symptoms before, sometimes caused by the onset of a virus such as a cold and usually most noticeable in the morning. I'll get out of bed and feel very off-balance as I pull on some pants and socks.

I seem to be prone to ear infections, as I've had a number of them in my life and have pulsatile tinnitus in my right ear.

Last summer, I had a more serious problem with balance after washing a car and hanging my head upside down to wash the undersides of the bumpers. I tried the Epley maneuver, which is intended to relocate calcium carbonate crystals from your utricle back to your semicircular canals, where they belong. I'm not sure that's my problem, but it did seem to help, combined with lying down and resting for awhile.

 

[Time2]

There is also this that will cause vertigo/dizziness,


" The utricle is a nearby part of the ear. It contains calcium crystals (canaliths) that help it detect movement. Sometimes these crystals detach from the utricle and end up inside the semicircular canals. When these crystals move inside the canals, they may send incorrect signals to your brain about your position. This can make you feel like the world is spinning. This is called vertigo.
Dr. John Epley designed a series of movements to dislodge the crystals from the semicircular canals."


https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/home-epley-maneuver

 

[pacergal]

OP-- Definitely get in to see your PCP, make sure you don't have an ear infection which can cause balance or vertigo issues, or any other health related issues.

A sudden onset of balance problems warrants a visit, sooner than later. You doc needs to evaluate any ENT or cardiac issues.

If your balance problem is caused by movement of the calcium crystals, learning the Epley maneuver will be beneficial. It works for me.

 

[folivier]

If you don't get relief from an ENT consider going to a chiropractor who specializes in the Blair Procedure. I've been seeing one near Salt Lake City for about 6 years now and have been having great results.

 

[captain3d]

I get vertigo maybe once a year and do the crystal maneuver every morning for about a week and it tends to fix it

 

[Motorad]

Very good information. Thanks everyone.

 

[W2R]

https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/older-adults-and-balance-problems

 

[Koolau]

I get vertigo maybe once a year and do the crystal maneuver every morning for about a week and it tends to fix it

I too get vertigo about once a year. I do nothing and (thank God, so far) it resolves on its own. Never had luck with the maneuver though YMMV.

 

[eytonxav]

Several years ago I developed a vestibular imbalance that had a visual component to it. I felt off balance frequently, especially when moving my head around and looking up. It also impacted my driving on highways when I saw cars whizzing past me. I do not know what brought it on, but suspect it had an allergy aspect from colder damp weather. My Dr sent me to a physical therapist who specialized in balance disorders. I believe the therapy lasted for 4-6 weeks and it did cure my balance problem which has not returned.