Feeling Dizzy?

Each year, more than 10 million patients visit a physician due to dizziness. It is the most common complaint of patients over the age of 75, but it can occur in patients of any age.

The vestibular system is a part of the inner ear. This apparatus provides a major contribution to balance, spatial awareness and coordination abilities in humans.

When someone experiences a problem with their vestibular system, they may be dizzy, have vertigo (spins), experience visual disturbances, and/or have poor balance. Symptoms due to vestibular disorders can diminish quality of life and impact all aspects of daily living. They also contribute to emotional problems such as anxiety and depression. Additionally, one of the consequences of having a vestibular disorder is that symptoms frequently cause people to adopt a sedentary lifestyle in order to avoid bringing on, or worsening, dizziness and imbalance. As a result, decreased muscle strength and flexibility, increased joint stiffness, and reduced stamina can occur.

The Balance and Vertigo Clinic at Harley Street Medical Centre specializes in diagnosing and treating balance disorders, dizziness, and vertigo. These conditions can greatly impact daily life, causing everything from mild discomfort to severe debilitation.

Your balance system is made of three key components; the visual system (eyes), the vestibular system (ears) and the somatosensory system (sensation and physical awareness in space).  These three systems talk to each other and in vestibular therapy the eyes give your therapist information about what is happening in your vestibular system.