by Neil Bauman, Ph.D.
If your balance (vestibular) system has largely been destroyed by taking various ototoxic drugs, by viral attacks on your vestibular system, or from conditions such as Meniere’s disease, you typically have to work hard to keep your balance. However, certain movements, “busy” scenes and other situations can, without warning, cause you to become dizzy and lose your balance.
If you have a damaged balance system, you may already be aware of some of these visual triggers. However, there are probably a number of others that you may not have recognized.
A group of people with severely-damaged vestibular systems due to Meniere’s disease shared the below list of visual triggers that often cause them grief. This list of visual triggers includes:
— Watching a big screen TV or going to movie theaters
— Looking up/down suddenly
— Walking down a visually-busy aisle in a store
— Driving on a “cloverleaf” highway ramp
— Walking beside flowing water such as a river (as opposed to walking beside a lake)
— Cars rushing by as you walk down a road
— Walking on a track with joggers zipping by
— Walking in a steeply sloped theater or arena
— Cars speeding in the opposite direction as you are driving on a narrow road
— Moving lights, especially in a disco
— Walking in the dark, or on a dimly lit path
— Looking back in response to a call
— Zipping past street lights while riding in a motor vehicle
— Walking in a crowd
— Sailing in a small boat vs. in a large ship
— Walking up or down steps, or an incline
— Moving lights at night when driving
— Bicycles zipping by
I have been suffering from dizziness since March 23, 2011. My first episode was a n NDE experience. After that first one I COULDNOT look up, down, sideways and backwards. I had several more NDE after that. I was not diagnosed with Menieres’Disease. My dizziness is not as bas as before, but now I have anew ear problem. I hear music in my ear 24/7 non stop. It is the last line of Moon River over and over again. I have been told I lost 60% of my hearing. I am not crazy, but this repetitive music can drive someone insane especially during the wee hours when I go to the bathroom. I have seen 3 ENTspecialits, all say there is no cure and no treatment. I beg someone to please help me.
Hi Jennie:
What is NDE?
Your dizziness almost sounds like you have benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) where some of the tiny calcium carbonate “rocks” in your inner ears fell out of their proper place in the utricle and got into your semicircular canals. The cure is to have your ear specialist (or other health care provider that knows how to do it) perform the Epley maneuver on you. Often one or two treatments is all it takes and you are back to normal–no more dizziness or vertigo.
The phantom music you are hearing is called Musical Ear Syndrome (MES). MES is NOT a mental illness, just something gone wrong in your auditory system. Often it occurs after hearing loss and when you are stressed or anxious, etc. You can learn a lot more about it by reading my article on MES. You are not alone. Thousands of people experience MES. It’s actually quite common although few people talk about it for fear of being thought crazy.
Regards
Neil