Department of Otolaryngology - Center for Balance Disorders

Balance Disorder Signs,
Symptoms, and Management

• People with dizziness get tired quickly.

• Stress can increase dizziness symptoms.
  
  
• People with dizziness problems should be encouraged to live as normal a life as possible.
  
  
• People with dizziness problems look like everyone else but feel very different.
  
  
• It is common for people with dizziness to feel anxious about doing some apparently simple things such as walking in a mall or walking in very busy stores, especially grocery stores.
  
  
• People with dizziness often get even more dizzy with head or body movements.
  
  
• People with dizziness may have dizziness all the time.
  
  
• People with dizziness problems may fall.
  
  
• People with dizziness may get motion sick very easily. They may have difficulty with riding in the back seat of a car.
  
  
• People with dizziness problems complain of unsteadiness when walking.
  
  
• People with dizziness may complain of vertigo or a feeling of spinning.
  
  
• People with dizziness may complain of visual blurring and some complain of their vision jumping.
  
  
• People who are dizzy often walk slowly.
  
  
• People with dizziness may have difficulty thinking and remembering especially when they are feeling dizzy.
  
  
• People with dizziness may like to touch the wall as they walk to help them to stay straight.
  
  
• When you walk next to a person with dizziness, they may frequently bump into you as it can be hard for them to walk straight.
  
  
• It is not uncommon for people with dizziness to have seen many doctors before it is decided that they have a balance disorder caused by the inner ear or brain.
  
  
• Medication for dizziness is not always helpful. In some cases, the use of medicine can slow the process of getting better. If you have questions about the medicine that you or your family member is taking, you should ask questions of the doctor who ordered the medicine. You should not stop taking any medicine without talking to the doctor first.
  
  
• Walking on uneven surfaces in the dark can be very hard for people with dizziness problems.
  
  
• Not all people have the same kind of dizziness symptoms and the intensity of the symptoms can vary from person to person.
  
  
• People with dizziness problems can become afraid of falling.
  
  
• Physical therapy can help some people with their dizziness and balance problems.