Dizziness is a symptom that is real to you but is not observable by your doctor. In order to diagnose a vestibular system disorder, your doctor must rely on signs they can observe. This may include abnormal eye or body movements. In the early stages of many vestibular disorders these signs may be absent or present only weakly or occasionally. Often as the condition progresses the symptoms can worsen. At times, difficulty walking in a dimly lit room, trouble driving a car, spinning feeling when turning in bed or even watching a spinning swing can upset your balance. As a result, your doctor may not be able to easily determine whether your dizziness is being caused by a vestibular disorder.
The term “dizziness” can be used to describe many different sensations. While most doctors are trained to suspect inner ear disorders, if a patient complains of violent nausea and whirling sensations, such strong symptoms do not always occur in the early stages of inner ear disorders. If you report that you feel off- balance, unsteady, light-headed, spacey, or that you feel as if you are rocking or floating, all of which may be perfectly true, your doctor may not suspect an inner ear disorder right away. The therapist at Brainstorm is trained within the complex field of vestibular rehabilitation and clinical neurology. If you have any concerns with dizziness contact Brainstorm.
