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Balance Brochure www.RundorffMD.com R F: 814-536-0963 P: 814-539-0257 15905 Johnstown, PA 16 Rose St. UNDORFF R OBERT Regain Your Balance ROBERT RUNDORFF MD MD A balance disorder is a disturbance that causes an individual to feel unsteady, giddy, woozy, or have a sensation of movement, spinning, or floating. An Resolve Dizziness organ in our inner ear, the labyrinth, is an important part of our vestibular and the (balance) system. The labyrinth interacts with other systems in the body, such as fear of the visual (eyes) and skeletal (bones and joints) systems, to maintain the falling body's position. These systems, along with the brain and the nervous system, can be the source of balance problems. How are Balance Disorders Although most of us experience Symptoms of a occasional episodes of dizziness, Balance Disorder? Diagnosed? approximately four in 10 Americans When balance is impaired, an individual Video Electronystagmography (VNG) is a non- invasive, non-pharmaceutical technology that provides have more prolonged dizziness that has difficulty maintaining orientation. For an objective diagnosis of the cause of dizziness, could be signs of a balance disorder. example, an individual may experience unsteadiness, vertigo and other balance disorders using normative data. Because it provides an objective Although they are more common in the "room spinning" and may not be able What are the measurement of the patient’s progress, it can also be used to determine the effectiveness of treatments for older people, balance disorders affect to walk without staggering, or may not even balance disorders. VNG analyzes the cause of a people of all ages. be able to arise. Some of the symptoms a patient’s balance disorders by testing oculomotor response to visual, positional and caloric stimulus. The person with a balance disorder may Balance depends patient’s oculomotor response is measured against on messages sent experience are: objective criteria, and the practitioner receives an objectively measured balance assessment that to the brain by our differentiates between peripheral and central vestibular eyes, muscles, Sensation of dizziness or vertigo pathology. joints and (spinning) Treatment Options vestibular system Falling or a feeling of falling In a large percentage of cases, balance problems are Understanding Balance Disorder Lightheadedness or feeling woozy (inner ear). If any caused by the vestibular system or inner ear. of these systems are disrupted, Visual blurring Vestibular rehabilitation is an exercise program designed by specially trained therapists to help people may experience balance Disorientation compensate for a loss or imbalance within the disorder, signaled by vertigo, dizziness vestibular system. Additional causes of balance problems or clumsiness. Some balance Some individuals may also experience include medications, poor vision, disorders last several months and nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, faintness, gait and balance disorders and other medical conditions, from a eventually resolve on their own. changes in heart rate and blood pressure, drop in blood pressure to brain Without treatment, however, many fear, anxiety, or panic. Some reactions to the tumors. Health care team patients have difficulty functioning and symptoms are fatigue, depression, and members discuss the most appropriate treatment approach may be at greater risk for serious falls decreased concentration. The symptoms may with the patient. and injuries. appear and disappear over short time periods Call Today to Schedule an Appointment! or may last for a longer period of time. 814-539-0257 or www.RundorffMD.com.
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  • Press Release
    Ménière's Society for dizziness and balance disorders NEWS RELEASE Release date: Monday 17 September 2018 Getting help if your world is in a spin Feeling dizzy and losing your balance is an all too common problem for many people but would you know what to do and where to get help if this happened to you? A loss of balance can lead to falls whatever your age. Around 30% of people under the age of 65 suffer from falls with one in ten people of working age seeking medical advice for vertigo which can lead to life changing or life inhibiting symptoms. Balance disorders are notoriously difficult to diagnose accurately. Most people who feel giddy, dizzy, light-headed, woozy, off-balance, faint or fuzzy, have some kind of balance disorder. This week (16-22 September 2018) is Balance Awareness Week. Organised by the Ménière's Society, the only registered charity in the UK dedicated solely to supporting people with inner ear disorders, events up and down the country will aim to raise awareness of how dizziness and balance problems can affect people and direct them to sources where they can find support. This year Balance Awareness Week also sees the launch of the world’s first Balance Disorder Spectrum, enabling for the first time easy reference to the whole range of balance disorders in one easy to use interactive web site. Medical science is continuously updating and revising its understanding of these often distressing and debilitating conditions. The many different symptoms and causes of balance disorders mean that there have been few attempts to show what they have in common, until now.
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  • How Do I Know If I Have a Balance Disorder?
    PO BOX 13305 · PORTLAND, OR 97213 · FAX: (503) 229-8064 · (800) 837-8428 · [email protected] · WWW.VESTIBULAR.ORG How Do I Know if I Have a Balance Disorder? This article is adapted from information provided by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communications Disorders, (NIDCD). Millions of individuals have disorders of sensation of spatial disorientation or balance they describe as “dizziness.” imbalance. Experts believe that more than four out of ten Americans will experience an Almost everyone experiences a few episode of dizziness significant enough to seconds of dizziness or disequilibrium at send them to a doctor. some point —for example, when a person stands on a train platform and What can be difficult for both a patient momentarily perceives an illusion of and his or her doctor is that the word moving as a train rushes past. However, “dizziness” is a subjective term. This for some people, symptoms can be means that the word can be used by intense and last a long time, affecting a people to describe different sensations person’s independence, ability to work, they are experiencing, but it is hard for and quality of life. anyone but the person experiencing the symptoms to understand or measure Balance disorders can be caused by the nature or severity of the sensations. medications or certain health conditions, In addition, people tend to use different including problems with the inner ear terms to describe the same kind of (vestibular) organs or the brain. problem. “Dizziness,” “vertigo,” and Dizziness, vertigo, and disequilibrium are “disequilibrium” are often used all symptoms that can result from a interchangeably, even though they have peripheral vestibular disorder (a different meanings.
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  • Balance Disorder Spectrum Technical Report: January 2018
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  • Mal De Debarquement Syndrome (Mdds)?
    What is Mal de Debarquement Syndrome (MdDS)? MdDS is a rare and life-altering balance disorder that most commonly develops after an ocean cruise or other type of water travel. MdDS is also known as disembarkment disease or persistent landsickness. MdDS also occurs following air/train travel or other motion experiences or spontaneously/in the absence of a motion event. MdDS is a syndrome because it often includes a diverse array of symptoms. The characteristic symptom of MdDS is a persistent sensation of motion such as rocking, swaying and/or bobbing. Other MdDS Symptoms: MAL de • Disequilibrium - a sensation of unsteadiness DEBARQUEMENT or loss of balance • Fatigue; extreme, unusual SYNDROME • Cognitive impairment - difficulty concentrating, confusion, memory loss …a persistent • Anxiety, depression motion and imbalance disorder… • Ataxia – unsteady, staggering gait • Sensitivity to flickering lights, loud or sudden noises, fast or sudden movements, enclosed areas or busy patterns Do you know a person who has • Headaches, including migraine headaches • Heaviness - sensation of gravitational pull of returned from an ocean cruise and the head, body or feet feels like they are still on the boat – • Dizziness months/years later? • Ear pain and/or fullness • Tinnitus – ringing in the ears Perhaps they returned from a • Nausea plane, train or lengthy car ride, and Most MdDS patients feel relief while driving/ it now feels like they are on a ship riding in an auto, airplane, train or other at sea. motion activities. However, the abnormal sensation of motion returns as soon as the They may be suffering from Mal de motion activity is suspended. This is a Debarquement Syndrome (MdDS), helpful feature in the diagnosis of MdDS.
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  • Bedside Neuro-Otological Examination and Interpretation of Commonly
    J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry: first published as 10.1136/jnnp.2004.054478 on 24 November 2004. Downloaded from BEDSIDE NEURO-OTOLOGICAL EXAMINATION AND INTERPRETATION iv32 OF COMMONLY USED INVESTIGATIONS RDavies J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2004;75(Suppl IV):iv32–iv44. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.2004.054478 he assessment of the patient with a neuro-otological problem is not a complex task if approached in a logical manner. It is best addressed by taking a comprehensive history, by a Tphysical examination that is directed towards detecting abnormalities of eye movements and abnormalities of gait, and also towards identifying any associated otological or neurological problems. This examination needs to be mindful of the factors that can compromise the value of the signs elicited, and the range of investigative techniques available. The majority of patients that present with neuro-otological symptoms do not have a space occupying lesion and the over reliance on imaging techniques is likely to miss more common conditions, such as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), or the failure to compensate following an acute unilateral labyrinthine event. The role of the neuro-otologist is to identify the site of the lesion, gather information that may lead to an aetiological diagnosis, and from there, to formulate a management plan. c BACKGROUND Balance is maintained through the integration at the brainstem level of information from the vestibular end organs, and the visual and proprioceptive sensory modalities. This processing takes place in the vestibular nuclei, with modulating influences from higher centres including the cerebellum, the extrapyramidal system, the cerebral cortex, and the contiguous reticular formation (fig 1).
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  • Confirmed Otosclerosis
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  • Dba - Deafblind Australia
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  • Information Central CHARGE Syndrome Checklist
    Information Central CHARGE Syndrome Checklist: Health Supervision Across the Lifespan Angela Arra-Robar, RN MSN Presenter Information Angela Arra-Robar is a Clinical Nurse Specialist with children with medical complexities at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Angela is a graduate of the University of Western Sydney (Australia) and Canyon College (USA) where she completed her Masters of Science in Nursing in 2006. Over the past twenty-one years, Angela has held a variety of nursing positions in both Canada and the United States. Most of her clinical experience has been in the specialty of medical-surgical nursing in both adult and pediatric settings. She has worked as a staff nurse, clinical instructor and nurse educator prior to her current role as a CNS. Angela has worked with children with CHARGE syndrome in Atlantic Canada for the past 13 years. Together with Dr. Kim Blake, they run a monthly clinic specifically for children and youth with CHARGE in order to provide continuity in care and support youth and their families to be able to self-manage their healthcare. Angela’s passion for teaching is evident through her collaboration with staff, patients and their families to share knowledge, build capacity and promote a truly family- centred care environment. Presentation Abstract A comprehensive approach to health screening and management for individuals with CHARGE syndrome is essential. We developed a checklist organized by body system and age to guide the healthcare provider in their approach to care. The checklist was evaluated using a modified Delphi method to develop a final consensus.
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  • Auditory and Vestibular Dysfunction Associated with Blast-Related Traumatic Brain Injury
    Volume 46, Number 6, 2009 JRRDJRRD Pages 797–810 Journal of Rehabilitation Research & Development Auditory and vestibular dysfunction associated with blast-related traumatic brain injury Stephen A. Fausti, PhD;1 Debra J. Wilmington, PhD;1* Frederick J. Gallun, PhD;1 Paula J. Myers, PhD;2 James A. Henry, PhD1 1Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Rehabilitation Research and Development Service, National Center for Rehabili- tative Auditory Research, Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, OR; and Department of Otolaryngology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR; 2James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital/Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center, Tampa, FL Abstract—The dramatic escalation of blast exposure in mili- INTRODUCTION tary deployments has created an unprecedented amount of trau- matic brain injury (TBI) and associated auditory impairment. Concurrent injuries to the auditory system as a result Auditory dysfunction has become the most prevalent individual of acute blast trauma and resultant traumatic brain injury service-connected disability, with compensation totaling more (TBI) accounted for one-quarter of all injuries among than 1 billion dollars annually. Impairment due to blast can marines during Operation Iraqi Freedom through 2004— include peripheral hearing loss, central auditory processing the most common single injury type [1]. Blast-related deficits, vestibular impairment, and tinnitus. These deficits are TBI produces significantly greater rates of hearing loss particularly challenging in the TBI population, as symptoms can
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  • Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) Is
    Form: D-5758 Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo Information for patients and families Read this booklet to learn about: • what Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) is • symptoms you can expect • how your doctor will diagnose it • treatment options What is BPPV? BPPV is a balance disorder of the inner ear that causes vertigo, dizziness and other symptoms. It happens when calcium crystals inside the ear become loose and begin collecting in the canal at the back of the inner ear. Otoconia How does this happen? The organ in your inner ear that helps you keep your balance is made up of 3 semicircular canals, a saccule and a utricle, all connected by inner ear fluid. • The utricle and saccule have sense receptors loaded with tiny crystals that help detect small movements of your head. • If some of these crystals become loose, they will float freely in the inner ear fluid. • When this happens, moving your head in certain positions will cause these crystals to shift and travel within the fluid of the semicircular canal. This will irritate the balance organ inside your inner ear, and will send false signals to your brain that will make you dizzy. 2 What causes BPPV? There are a few reasons why crystals may become loose inside your inner ear and cause BPPV, including: • if you have had a mild to moderate head injury (including whiplash) • if you have had Vestibular Neuritis (an inner ear infection) • if you have Meniere’s Disease (combination of vertigo, tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and hearing loss) For many older people, dizziness is often due to BPPV.
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  • Balance Disorders
    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES ∙ National Institutes of Health NIDCD Fact Sheet | Hearing and Balance Balance Disorders What is a balance disorder? Structures of the balance system inside the inner ear A balance disorder is a condition that makes you feel unsteady or dizzy. If you are standing, sitting, or lying down, you might feel as if you are moving, spinning, or floating. If you are walking, you might suddenly feel as if you are tipping over. Everyone has a dizzy spell now and then, but the term “dizziness” can mean different things to different people. For one person, dizziness might mean a fleeting feeling of faintness, while for another it could be an intense sensation of spinning (vertigo) that lasts a long time. Experts believe that more than four out of 10 Americans, sometime in their lives, will experience an episode of dizziness significant enough to send them to a doctor. Balance disorders can be caused by certain health conditions, medications, or a problem in the inner ear or the brain. A balance disorder can profoundly impact daily activities and cause Credit: NIH Medical Arts psychological and emotional hardship. } Dizziness or vertigo (a spinning sensation) What are the symptoms of a balance disorder? } Falling or feeling as if you are going to fall } Lightheadedness, faintness, or a floating sensation If you have a balance disorder, you may stagger when you try to walk, or teeter or fall when you try to stand } Blurred vision up. You might experience other symptoms such as: } Confusion or disorientation. NIDCD...Improving the lives of people with communication disorders Other symptoms might include nausea and When you turn your head, fluid inside the vomiting, diarrhea, changes in heart rate and semicircular canal moves, causing the cupula to blood pressure, and fear, anxiety, or panic.
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