Central Vestibular Disorder

Central vestibular disorder is a balance disorder that can cause many unpleasant symptoms. This condition is still being researched by scientists in order to better help the patients who suffer with it.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of central vestibular disorder include feeling light-headed, blurred vision, disorientation, feeling as if falling and dizziness.

Cause

• This particular balance disorder is caused by a problem in the connecting nerves of the brain, which usually occurs due to tumors in the brain stem, multiple sclerosis, or brain stem vascular disease. When the connecting nerves are deformed or cannot function properly due to these conditions, it causes the unpleasant symptoms of central vestibular disorder.

Complications

• Due to this condition causing dizziness and lack of balance coordination, the main complication is falling. Patients with this condition should avoid heights and situations where they may harm themselves falling.

Diagnosis

• According to the American Speech Language Hearing Association, doctors diagnose central vestibular disorder using an MRI. Doctors will analyze the MRI results for abnormalities in the brain.

Treatments

• Treatment options include rehabilitation that will assist the patient in learning balance coordination to help prevent possible falls. In some cases by treating the cause of the condition, such as brain stem tumors or multiple sclerosis, the condition itself will be treated. Unfortunately, there is no treatment centered on central vestibular disorder itself.