On rare occasion, a vestibular disorder may have a cardiovascular cause. In such cases, the individual may experience syncope, shortness of breath, and/ or heart palpitations.

Cardiovascular Origins of Vestibular Disorders

A stoke in the brainstem can cause symptoms associated with vestibular disorders. Strong dizziness associated with dysarthria, hoarseness, or diplopia is a symptom of brainstem-centered stroke. Doctors specializing in vestibular disorders typically attempt to rule this out quite quickly as individuals who have had a brainstem stroke must go through specialized care to aid brainstem function recovery.

Brainstem Stroke as the Origin of Vestibular Disorders/ Symptoms

Panic attacks can have symptoms similar to vestibular disorders, particularly the presence of strong vertigo. Doctors will often attempt to rule this out as mental disorders/ mood disorders/ anxiety disorders will require different care than other sources of vestibular disorder. Symptoms that often co-occur with vertigo that may have panic attacks/ disorders as the root cause include diaphoresis, dyspnea, and a sense of impending doom.

Panic Disorders/ Mental Health Causes of Vestibular Disorders

While by definition vestibular disorders are typically caused by damage or underdevelopment to the inner ear, some vestibular disorders may be caused by unusual experiences and/or damage/ malformation/ disorder elsewhere in the body.

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A vestibular disorder is a temporary disorder, chronic illness, and/or disability caused by changes in, damage to, or incorrect development of the inner ear and surrounding area. Symptoms of vestibular disorders typically includes dizziness, hearing loss, and nausea and examples of vestibular disorders include Perilymph fistula, mal de debarquement, and labyrinthitis. Vestibular disorders tend to be more common in the elderly.

Vestibular Disorder

Babu, Seilesh, Christopher A Schutt, and Dennis I Bojrab, eds. 2019. Diagnosis and Treatment of Vestibular Disorders. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-97858-1.

 Diagnosis and Treatment of Vestibular Disorders

Approximately 60% of individuals experiencing symptoms associated with vestibular disorders are correctly diagnosed by medical professionals. Diagnoses are typically performed by enacting the following examination methods: general examination, assessment of eye movement, a fistula test, employment of the Dix-Hallpike maneuver, a head thrust/ head shaking test, cerebral testing, and more. Some vestibular disorders, such as mal de debarquement, have less successful diagnoses than others.

Diagnosis of Vestibular Disorders

Causes of Vestibular Disorders/ Disabilities

MdDS is a poorly understood vestibular disorder/ neurological condition that causes rocking, dizziness, and associated symptoms. It usually appears after sustained, passive motion, such as a cruise. This disorder is poorly understood. 

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