Brady Workman

Vestibular neuritis is one of the most common causes of dizziness and vertigo, with an estimated incidence of 3.5–15.5 per 100,000 persons. It is presumed to result from either a viral or vascular insult to the vestibulocochlear nerve or inner ear structures, leading to symptoms of intense vertigo. The initial vertigo can last for hours to days. While many individuals

Let me first start by disclosing that I am not a neurologist. As such, much of what will be discussed here is an overly simplistic explanation of complex neurological processes. The aim is simply to increase awareness of white matter lesions and their associations with dizziness, imbalance, and falls. The most appropriate specialist to address white matter abnormalities is a

Vestibular disorders are one of the most common causes of dizziness regardless of clinical setting. The dizziness is most often due to an involuntary eye movement called nystagmus. Nystagmus occurs due to disagreement between the inner ear balance organs or centrally in the brain/brainstem. In most cases, this nystagmus is temporary or may recur sporadically, depending on the condition. The

We have previously discussed the association between hearing loss and falls but it seems new data is emerging regularly on this topic, likely given the magnitude of this societal problem. Hearing loss is prevalent, with an estimated 15% of American adults reporting some difficulty hearing. The prevalence of hearing loss also increases significantly with advanced aged. Sensorineural hearing loss is

Falls are a burgeoning societal problem, and much effort is being made to reduce falls. The risk for falling increases with advanced age, with nearly 1 in 4 individuals in the US over the age of 65 reporting a fall every year. Falls can lead to injury, activity limitation, economic burden and even death. Falls are the leading cause of

Vestibular schwannoma, also known as acoustic neuroma, refers to a benign tumor that arises from the Schwann cells or nerve sheath on the vestibulocochlear nerve. For consistency and brevity, I will refer to these tumors as VS for the remainder of this blog. Other masses can occur within the internal auditory canal, however, VS are the most prevalent and for

Mal de Debarquement Syndrome (MdDS) is a French term that is utilized to describe a chronic vestibular disorder where individuals feel as if they are almost constantly rocking or swaying.  Additional symptoms can include fatigue, spatial disorientation, visual motion intolerance, headache, and anxiety. The name, when translated to English, means “sickness on dis-embarkment”. The condition is often triggered by traveling

What is Meniere’s Disease? Meniere’s disease is a disorder of the inner ear, which causes episodes of vertigo, imbalance, fluctuating hearing loss, pressure in the ear, and tinnitus (noises) in ones ear. An episode of Meniere’s disease can last for minutes, up to many hours in duration. Meniere’s disease most often affects only one ear and often individuals will perceive

I recently read an article from the New York Times about individuals experiencing persistent dizziness symptoms after an earthquake. This is not something I have encountered at a clinical level, but I found it interesting. It seems unlikely that an earthquake would directly cause an organic issue with vestibular system without any physical trauma involved. It would, however, seem plausible

Falls are the leading cause of injury related death in adults 65 or older. In the United States, around $50 billion is spent annually on medical care related to falls in older adults. Data from the World Health Organization estimates that more than 680,000 people die and 172 million suffer from falls related disabilities annually worldwide. Hearing loss is also