Vestibular Problems in Children

A child's balance system depends on the body's muscles, joints, eyes and inner ear. All of these transmit information about the body and its movement and place in space to the brain. When any of these elements, particularly the inner ear, is out of sync, it can create vestibular problems which can result in dizziness, vertigo, imbalance and other symptoms. Children who have vestibular disorders may be perceived as lazy, inattentive or attention-seekers. They often have difficulty doing routine tasks, as well as reading and arithmetic. The symptoms of vestibular problems in children are listed below, yet it should be noted that these symptoms may be caused by other medical conditions. A child who is exhibiting any or all of the following symptoms should be checked out by a pediatrician.

Dizziness/Vertigo

• Children with vestibular problems may feel a whirling or spinning sensation in their heads. This gives the illusion that the world around them, or the child himself (or herself), is moving. Children often describe the feeling as floating, being light-headed or feeling like they are rocking. They may feel the sensation that they are being pulled in a particular direction or being weighted down.

Balance/Space Orientation

• The word "vestibular" refers to the inner ear and balance, and children may have trouble balancing if they have a vestibular problem. They may stumble, have problems walking straight lines and even turning corners. They appear clumsy and uncoordinated. Children affected tend to look down and their heads may tilt to the side. They experience difficulty obtaining and maintaining straight posture and tend to hold onto something when they are standing; they often hold their head(s) when seated. Joint and muscle pain may result from their difficulties in balancing.

Vision

• Difficulty focusing on and tracking objects with the eyes is common among vestibular children. Words seem to bounce, float or jump off of their pages, or appear doubled or blurry. Visibly busy locales such as malls, crowds and traffic can cause these children discomfort. They may be sensitive to light, flickering lights and glare, and fluorescent lights tend to aggravate their vision problems. Trouble with depth perception and walking in the dark are also symptomatic, and some of these children may even have night blindness.

Hearing

• Ringing or buzzing in the ears common to vestibular children can result in fluctuating hearing, distorted hearing and hearing loss. They display sensitivity to loud environments and loud clatter, and noisy environments can contribute to increased imbalance and vertigo.

Psychological/Cognitive

• Children who have vestibular problems will often be easily distracted, have trouble paying attention and find it hard to concentrate. They may have short-term memory lapses and may be deemed forgetful. These children may have trouble understanding instructions and directions and will often seem confused. They often have a loss of self-esteem, self-confidence and self-reliance. They may feel anxious and nervous; some go on to develop depression.

Other Symptoms

• Vestibular problems may manifest in nausea and vomiting. Complaints of feeling like they have motion sickness, ear pain and fullness in the ears and headaches are commonly cited. Children may have slurred speech, and some are especially sensitive to changes in the wind, the temperature and the air pressure.