Vestibular disease

Peripheral vestibular disease is usually the consequence of dysfunctions in the semicircular canals, the vestibule or the vestibular nerve. It can therefore appear following:

• Head trauma,
• Ménière's disease,
• Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).

As for central vestibular disease, it results from dysfunctions in the balance centers of the central nervous system (CNS). This may follow damage to the brainstem or cerebellum from:

• multiple sclerosis,
• a brain tumor,
• Arnold-Chiari malformation,
• Wallenberg Syndrome.

Vestibular syndrome is manifested by three symptoms:

• A nystagmus: it consists of an involuntary oscillation of the eyeball.
• Dizziness: During vertigo attacks, the vestibular system, that provides orientation in space and posture, is affected creating balance problems.
• Hearing problems: these can go as far as hearing loss.

The treatment of vestibular syndrome is based on three main steps:

• Treatment of dizziness with the administration of an anti-vertigo drug, a sedative and / or an antiemetic.
• Vestibular rehabilitation, which can be performed by a vestibular physiotherapist.
• Finally, the use of surgery to cut the vestibular nerve or eliminate the vestibular receptors is also a solution.