Article Summary To maintain balance and move around our world, we need to combine information from our eyes, body position (how we feel through our muscles and joints), and inner ear balance system. For people who have balance problems, recognizing the important role of vision is key. This knowledge can help them get the specific vision therapy they need.  Balance, Vision & Hearing Working Together Many people think of vision as just how clearly we see things. However, vision affects much more than just clarity. Vision is closely linked to our balance. To stay balanced, we must combine information from our eyes, our body position, and our inner ear. If any of these systems don’t work well, it can greatly impact a person’s ability to move safely. The relationship between our balance (from the inner ear) and vision starts at birth. The inner ear balance system is fully developed and […]

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VEDA - Published Wed Jul 2 2025 01:37    View Full Story...

What is Downbeat Nystagmus? Downbeat nystagmus (DBN) is an eye condition that causes your eyes to drift downward and quickly snap back up. It can make things look like they’re moving or bouncing (called oscillopsia), especially when you look down or move your head. Many people with DBN also feel dizzy, off-balance, or unsteady when walking. DBN is often caused by problems in the lower part of the brain (called the cerebellum), but sometimes doctors don’t find a clear cause. What is Ataxia? Ataxia means poor coordination or balance. It can affect walking, hand movements, or speech. Some people with DBN also have ataxia, and both can happen from the same brain changes. How is it treated? There’s no cure for DBN or ataxia, but some medicines can help improve your symptoms. Not every medicine works for everyone, so treatment may take some trial and error. Common Medicines for DBN […]

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VEDA - Published Tue Jul 1 2025 01:40    View Full Story...

Dear Fiona, Would you have any advice or tips that may help me to get a better night’s sleep related to MdDS? The moving sensation, particularly when lying in bed at night, is significantly impacting my sleep, to the point where I’m only getting a few hours of sleep a night. Dear Sleepless, You are not alone. Many people with Mal de Débarquement Syndrome (MdDS) find that nighttime can be one of the hardest times to cope with symptoms. That constant rocking, swaying, or bobbing sensation doesn’t just affect your balance during the day—it can also make it really hard to fall asleep and stay asleep. But there are things you can try that might help. Here’s a breakdown of some practical tips to help calm your nervous system and improve your sleep: 🌀 Get Your MdDS Symptoms Under Control First things first—managing your MdDS symptoms during the day can […]

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VEDA - Published Mon Jun 30 2025 23:59    View Full Story...

Dear Fiona, I’ve been doing my vestibular rehabilitation exercises for several months now. They’ve helped, but I’m wondering—how long do I need to keep doing them? Will I ever be able to stop? —Tired of Tilting Dear Tired, First, I would like to acknowledge your dedication to vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT). Maintaining such consistency is not easy, especially when progress can feel slow or unpredictable. Your commitment is commendable, and your question about the duration of these exercises is one I hear often. Here’s the short answer: it depends on your unique situation, including your diagnosis, your progress, and your goals. But I’ll break it down for you. 🔁 Vestibular Rehab Is a Process, Not a Quick Fix Vestibular rehabilitation retrains your brain and body to adapt to changes in balance, motion sensitivity, and spatial orientation. For many people with vestibular disorders—like vestibular migraine, bilateral vestibulopathy, PPPD (Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness), […]

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VEDA - Published Mon Jun 30 2025 18:56    View Full Story...

Why was this study done? Many people with dizziness or balance problems are given exercises to help stabilize their vision while moving their head. However, it can be hard for patients to know if those exercises are helping. This study measured how well people could see clearly during head movements (called dynamic visual acuity, or DVA) when looking at objects up close versus far away, which may support self-assessment of DVA. What did the researchers do? Researchers tested 94 adults in three groups: People with surgical damage to one side of their inner ear from surgical tumor removal (called unilateral vestibular deafferentation, or UVD), Veterans who felt dizzy but had normal inner ear function, Healthy individuals with no dizziness. Participants looked at letters on a screen while moving their heads up and down or side to side. They were tested both at a near distance (about 20 inches or 50 […]

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VEDA - Published Wed Jun 25 2025 18:34    View Full Story...

Beetlejuice: Acceptance Expands Possibilities If you told me only two years ago, I’d be in a movie theater, wearing my rose-colored FL-41s, listening to Beetlejuice with my eyes closed, I’d have shrugged in self-pity and disbelief. The idea of going to a theater, with its gigantic overwhelming visuals and thumping audio, felt like one of the many things I’d have to let go of. My vestibular disorder, caused by my stroke, has taken a lot from my life, and for a long time, I let that be the only thing I saw. The chronic pain from my disability made me feel that although I’m not blind, sometimes I wondered if it’d be easier if I was. The excruciating pain in my head from just simply using my eyes was frustrating and driving me into depression. However, I considered how I would navigate life if I was blind and maybe I […]

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VEDA - Published Fri Jun 20 2025 02:52    View Full Story...

Advocates for Patients with Inner Ear & Brain Balance Disorders The Vestibular Disorders Association (VeDA) announces the annual VeDA Champion of Vestibular Medicine Award initiative to increase awareness of vestibular disorders that affect the inner ear and brain. 2025 Lifetime Achievement award recipients include Dr. Michael Teixido and Dr. Joseph Furman, and the Young Investigator award recipients are Dr. Kristen Janky, Dr. Amir Kheradmand, and Dr. Jeffrey Sharon. “Champions of Vestibular Medicine are medical professionals who have had significant impact on the field of vestibular medicine,” says Dr. Habib Rizk, VeDA’s Board President. “Thanks to their leadership we have seen advancements in research leading to improvements in clinical care for patients with unexplained dizziness and vertigo.” “This year’s recipients of the Champion of Vestibular Medicine Award represent the very finest in vestibular patient care and research in their respective fields,” says Dr. Joel Goebel, Chair of VeDA’s Medical and Scientific […]

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VEDA - Published Fri Jun 20 2025 01:52    View Full Story...

Poetry can be a powerful way for those living with a chronic vestibular disorder to express their invisible and often misunderstood experiences through metaphor, rhythm, and emotion. For many, poetry can be healing and offer a sense of control and validation. In honor of National Poetry Month in April, VeDA hosts the Poetry-4-Balance Contest. This year, VeDA received 34 fantastic entries, all of which you can enjoy below! Thank you to all who participated and made this possible; we can’t wait to see what you come up with next year!   The 2025 Entries   Invisible Shadows – by Stana Peete Invisible Shadows – by Stana Peete In the stillness where silence clings tight, An unseen war brews out of sight, A world that wobbles in a dizzying whirl, Each step I take, a chasm unfurls. The struggle whispers, yet it roars within, Amidst a sea of faces, I’m lost […]

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VEDA - Published Wed May 14 2025 21:30    View Full Story...

Question:  I work in a loud environment. Could this be contributing to my vestibular symptoms or causing my vestibular issues? Could Your Loud Work Environment Be Contributing to Your Vestibular Symptoms? If you work in a loud environment, such as a factory, construction site, music venue, or busy restaurant, you may be wondering whether all that noise could be affecting more than just you’re hearing. Could it also be contributing to your dizziness, balance problems, or other vestibular symptoms? The short answer is yes, it’s possible. How Loud Noise Affects the Inner Ear The inner ear is home to both your auditory system (which processes sound) and your vestibular system (which helps you maintain balance and spatial orientation). These two systems are closely connected, sharing the same fluid-filled chambers and nerves. That means damage to one part of the inner ear can sometimes affect the other. Prolonged or repeated exposure […]

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VEDA - Published Tue May 6 2025 16:00    View Full Story...

Question: Can whiplash cause vertigo after a car accident? After a car accident, many people walk away feeling lucky to have avoided serious injury, only to experience troubling symptoms like dizziness or vertigo later. One common question that arises is: Can whiplash cause vertigo? The answer is yes, whiplash can contribute to vertigo and other types of dizziness. Understanding the connection can help you get the right treatment. What Is Whiplash? Whiplash is a neck injury caused by a sudden and forceful back-and-forth motion, often due to rear-end collisions. While it’s commonly associated with pain and stiffness in the neck, whiplash can also lead to a range of neurological and vestibular symptoms—including vertigo and other types of dizziness. How Whiplash Can Lead to Vertigo There are several possible ways that whiplash may cause or contribute to vertigo: Vestibular System Involvement The vestibular system, which helps control balance and spatial orientation, […]

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VEDA - Published Tue Apr 29 2025 16:00    View Full Story...