Dizziness, Balance issues

[hirwin]

Hello.  For the past year, I've been having problems w/ dizziness off an on.  I never know when it's going to happen and nothing really seems to trigger it.  A friend told me it sounds like Meniers (sp?).  I did see an ENT last year and they did a hearing test, only to tell me I didn't have any hearing loss and didn't do any more tests.  I am in the process of scheduling another appt. w/ a different dr.   I've never fainted or been close, but I often feel kind of like I have "brain fog".  A lot of times while waiting in line at stores or somewhere I feel like I have to lean up against something to keep my balance.  It's worse when looking down or looking behind my back.  I have trouble focusing on items I'm trying to read.  I've had a CAT scan which was normal.  I also have a heart condition, but I had a check up in Aug. and all was unchanged, so the dr. said whatever was going on was not my heart.  I also have ringing in my ears sometimes.  Alot of times I feel like my balance is off.  Any ideas as to what it could be???

Thanks,
Heather

[Paulto4872]

Is is classic spinning vertigo, or a boat-rocking-type imbalance you experience?  Do you have "fullness" in the ears?  Can you clear your ears?  A bit more detail might be helpful.

paulto

[Nancy T]

Dr. Antony wrote: "Dizziness/ Weakness requires detailed, time consuming and tiring work up which may yield nothing substantial."

Unfortunately this is true. Sometimes the cause of dizziness can be found, but often you will end up with conflicting opinions from different doctors, or from the same doctor on different days!

And sometimes you end up being told it's "just" anxiety or something like that. There is indeed a connection between dizziness and anxiety (one can cause the other, and vice versa), but the underlying cause must always be searched for. Normal ENT test results do not necessarily mean that there is not a vestibular (balance/dizziness) problem that simply can't be detected with current testing methods.

If your doctors can't find a cardiovascular or inner ear problem, they should send you to a neurologist. One cause of dizziness that is probably underdiagnosed is migraine-associated dizziness. If you have any personal or family history of migraine, that should certainly be considered, although many doctors aren't very knowledgeable about this relationship.

Best of luck--I hope you get a diagnosis and help for your problem, but don't be surprised if you start to hear doctors say "You just have to learn to live with it." I have had low-level dizziness for many, many years with no firm diagnosis... and I can tell you that there are many others out there in the same situation!

I have heard that doctors' hearts sink to the floor when a patient comes in and says "I'm dizzy," because there are so many causes that need to be investigated and often the cause is never found. And yet dizziness substantially impacts a patient's life, the way they feel every day--so they won't just go home and forget about it but will keep bugging the doctor. I remember, very early on in my dizzy days, telling a doctor (whom I was seeing for a shoulder pain) that I always felt a little bit dizzy. He did not say a word to me but just continued examining my shoulder. I now understand why he didn't want to touch "I feel dizzy" with a ten-foot pole!!

Nancy T.

[tomsant]

Your problem is weakness/ dizziness off and on. If you have a sensation of movement, spinning or otherwise, it can be considered as vertigo. If it is vertigo, your doctor would have sent you to ENT/ Neuro. If vertigo is associated with hearing problem, we narrow down the diagnosis to a smaller group.

Dizziness/ Weakness requires detailed, time consuming and tiring work up which may yield nothing substantial.

But your doctor has to do systematic work up and rule out hypertension, heart rythm abnormalities, anemia, before sending to ENT or neuro. Since the ENT found your audiogram is normal, Menierre's is out. If your 'vertigo' is brought on by sudden change in position of head and neck, one has to check for BPPV.

Anyway you have to meet your eye specialist to fix your vision problems. See if a spects of the correct lens helps. (Proper vision also is a requirement to keep normal balance)

Hope this helps

Best,

Thomas Antony