VERTIGO & VESTIBULAR SYSTEM DISORDERS

What is Vertigo?

Vertigo is a sensation or illusion that one's body is revolving in space (subjective vertigo) or, that the environment is rotating or spinning (objective vertigo). Objective vertigo is more frequent. Impairment of the peripheral organ is characteristic in the vertiginous condition. The spinning direction coincides with the direction of the nystagmus quick phase. Vertigo may also be defined as the subjective expression of lost spatial orientation.

This vertigo sensation happens due to the malfunctioning of one or more of the systems that preserve the balance. Aging or tumor or ulcer or other causes can lead to balance problems.

In order to preserve your balance, you should:

• Stimulate the eyesight

 
• Stimulate the inner ear.

 
• Stimulate the movement system (legs).

 

You find below some easy exercises that will help to retrieve your balance in addition to a convenient medical treatment.

What is Dizziness?

Dizziness is the unobjectifiable subjective sensation of "sea sickness", frequently referred to by the patient as a "displacement of the floor" or "walking on cotton". It is frequently an extralabyrinthine manifestation or the consequence of an alteration of the otolithic system, in which case, it is associated with neurovegetative manifestations.

What is Nystagmus?

Nystagmus is a conjugate two-phase involuntary rhythmic movement of the eyes, arising in the stimulated side. As both rotatory and caloric nystagmus¬eliciting tests generally stimulate the horizontal (lateral) semicircular canal, resulting nystagmus will be horizontal. In the quick phase of nystagmus, the eyes move more quickly towards the affected side, or dominant labyrinth, while in the slow phase, the patient will drive the eyes slowly towards the less active side.

 

What is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is a subjective sensation of noise in the head or in the ears. Said noise is often described as ringing or blowing in one or both ears.

Etiology of tinnitus is difficult to establish, but it is associated to some degree of auditory deficiency. It may be a sign of acoustic trauma, Meniere's disease, otosclerosis, presbycusis, or an accumulation of cerumen impinging on the eardrum or occluding the external auditory canal.

Further symptoms

In addition to the typical signs and symptoms of vestibular system alterations, among which vertigo is the prevailing condition, there is a considerable number of further manifestations which may largely affect the quality of life of the individual. Occurring concomitantly with known symptoms of vestibular syndromes -or sometimes as the only evidence of their presence-, other non-specific symptoms and signs may occur, such as headache, photophobia or noise hypersensitivity, which require adequate interpretation.

Do you suffer from vertigo…

from balance problems…

These exercises will help you to improve your balance

We preserve our balance due to the information transmitted by the three senses to the brain. These senses are:

The eyes, the inner ear and the movement system (legs)

All exercises should be practiced in standing position leaning your back in a straight shape on a wall for avoiding any trouble or falling down.

Exercises done when in a sleeping position (on the back)

1- Lay on your back. Look up and down, to the right and to the left. Start these exercises slowly and then increase the movement gradually.

2- Move your head from bottom and up, from right to left. Double the speed gradually. Close your eyes and repeat the exercise..

Exercises in a standing position

3- Keep your legs away and lean on them to preserve your equilibrium. Diminish gradually the distance between your feet so that they stick together (straight standing position). Try to stay in this position the maximum time (5 to 10 and then to 20 seconds). Practice these exercises eyes open and then eyes shut. 

4- Stand up right and lean to the floor. Move your head forward and then back. Double the leaning position gradually. Practice this exercise eyes open and then eyes shut. 

5- Stand up right. Put your feet straight on the floor and lean on them well. Move your weight on top of your toes and then on your ankle. Repeat this exercise by increasing the speed and by preserving the standing position on your ankle and on your toes for the longest time. 

Exercises done by standing on one foot

6- Rest on one feet and then on the other one. Do this exercise barefoot and then when wearing your shoes. Practice these exercises eyes shut and then eyes open. Try to lean on one foot the longest time.

Exercises done by resting on soft floor

7- Take a silk pillow that is not less than 40 cm of diameter and 5 cm thick. Try at the beginning to preserve your equilibrium on it by concentrating on a window for example. Then try to preserve your equilibrium eyes shut. It is better to lean your back on the wall to avoid falling backwards.

Finally do the head exercise (second exercise) first slowly then increase the speed eyes open and then eyes shut.

Preserve your equilibrium in a sitting position

8-Sit down on a chair and lean forward and pick up something from the floor and then (sit back). Return to the sitting position looking forward.

9- Sit and then stand up eyes open first and then eyes shut. Stay close to the wall for the first trials that you do eyes shut. Keep your hand close to the wall (rest on it a little bit).

Walking

10- Observe the way of walking. Walk firm steps. Your head up. Look forward and move your arm. Double the speed gradually and increase the distance of steps. Repeat this exercise eyes shut.

11- Walk in a hall or a room. Move your head from right to left and move forward.

12- Move up and down on a sloping floor eyes open first and then eyes shut. Beware from falling down.

Sight Control

13- Stand up right firmly on the floor. Hold a colored end pencil in your hand and stretch out your hand forward. Move your head and the upper part of your body to the right then to the left by concentrating on the end of the pencil. Do this exercise 10 times by leaning and returning backward. Double the speed gradually.

14- Do the same exercise by holding a pencil in each hand. Hold your arm up your head and put the other one near your body. Afterwards and consecutively, move your head up & down by concentrating the sight on the pencils’ end and then open your arms and keep the pencils vertically.

Look forward and move your head right and then left by concentrating on the pencils’ end.

15- Hold a page of a newspaper on the level of the face, read the wide lines first and then the small letters. Move your head from right to left.

Concentrate on the newspaper, move your head from right to left, then lower your head from right to left and then move your head up & down.

First keep each position for seconds and then do the movements.

16. Hang two pages of the newspaper, each on one side of the wall to form an angle.

a- Stand in front of the corner and read by moving your head from right to left gradually. Double the speed each time.



 

 

 

 

b- Then lean your back on the corner of the wall without moving the feet. Turn right then left to read the big titles and then the text on the two pages.

Conclusion

The aim of doing these exercises is to improve the equilibrium standing position and giving you clear sight in all positions.

You should do these exercises every day for 5 to 10 minutes. At the beginning, you will feel a dizziness or loose your equilibrium. But you have to overcome this feeling and keep on doing these exercises.

You will note a remarkable improvement after few weeks.

Solvay
Pharmaceuticals
Middle East