Exercise Therapy Can Help Dizziness, Balance In Inner Ear Fluid Levels
Nearly 90 million Americans, or more than one-third of the population, report bouts of dizziness at some point in their lives, according to studies from the National Institutes of Health. Of those, 76 million suffer from inner-ear disorders, which can be caused by whiplash, blows to the head, viral infections, and high doses of certain antibiotics, strokes or degeneration of the inner ear’s balance function, also known as the vestibular system, which often deteriorates with age.
The vestibular system works with the visual system to keep objects in focus when the head is moving. When the head is tilted or the body position is changed with respect to gravity, the displacement of the stones causes the hair cells to bend. If there are any irregularities in this balance system of ‘bobbing buoys’ and fluid, we lose the ability to remain balanced.
Experiencing dizziness and problems with balance can be extremely disruptive, but there are many things that you can do to help your dizziness naturally. Drinking adequate amounts of fluid daily, change positions slowly to avoid dizziness and disorientation, limit the amount of salt you eat in a day to decrease the pressure of your inner ear, can all help.
In many cases, a physician will recommend a physical therapist that can customize a home-exercise program designed for each patient. In the instance of an elderly person living at home, a therapist can make home visits and assist with the exercises. Some common exercises, like jumping, sitting up and lying down rapidly and turning in circles with assistance from the therapist can help “jar” inner ear fluids.
Along with the habituation exercises, vestibular rehabilitation patients are given eye exercises that retrain the vestibular ocular reflex, an adjustment controlled by the inner ear that allows the eye to keep the field of vision steady as a person moves. The eye exercises, in which patients repeatedly move their heads from side to side or up and down while focusing on a specific target, like a letter taped to the wall, help patients steady their gaze.
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About the Author: Gloria Ha’o Schneider is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer who has written advertising / sales and product development copy for major gift industry companies, website content, greeting cards, merchandising copy, and senior-related issues and has a passion for writing human-interest stories.