Some of the more common balance disorders are:
Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)--a brief, intense sensation of vertigo that occurs because of a specific positional change of the head. An individual may experience BPPV when rolling over to the left or right upon getting out of bed in the morning, or when looking up for an object on a high shelf. The cause of BPPV is not known, although it may be caused by an inner ear infection, head injury, or aging.
Labyrinthitis--an infection or inflammation of the inner ear causing dizziness and loss of balance.
Ménière's disease--an inner ear fluid balance disorder that causes episodes of vertigo, fluctuating hearing loss, tinnitus (a ringing or roaring in the ears), and the sensation of fullness in the ear. The cause of Ménière's disease is unknown.
Vestibular neuronitis--an infection of the vestibular nerve, generally viral.
Perilymph fistula--a leakage of inner ear fluid to the middle ear. It can occur after head injury, physical exertion or, rarely, without a known cause.
If you have any questions or comments on senior health nutrition, fitness, etc., go to the Senior Health Forum where we are talking about the following:
The information contained in these pages
is for educational / reference use only.
Sources:
National Institutes of Health
