As so many people are asking "is this normal? Should I be feeling like this?", I thought this list of symptoms as published by the Vestibular Disorders Association might help put your minds at rest. It doesn't mean everyone with experience all the symptoms, although some unfortunates do or have in the past!!! It's important to remember that you CAN and WILL make a full recovery from your balance disorder.

Vertigo and dizziness
▪ Spinning or whirling sensation; an illusion of movement of self or the world (vertigo)
▪ Lightheaded, floating, or rocking sensation
▪ Sensation of being heavily weighted or pulled in one direction

Balance and spatial orientation
▪ Imbalance, stumbling, difficulty walking straight or turning a corner
▪ Clumsiness or difficulty with coordination
▪ Difficulty maintaining straight posture; tendency to look downward to confirm the location of the
ground
▪ Head may be held in a tilted position
▪ Tendency to touch or hold onto something when standing, or to touch or hold the head while seated
▪ Sensitivity to changes in walking surfaces or footwear
▪ Muscle and joint pain (due to difficulty balancing)

Vision
▪ Trouble focusing or tracking objects with the eyes; objects or words on a page seem to jump, bounce,
float, or blur or may appear doubled
▪ Discomfort from busy visual environments such as traffic, crowds, stores, and patterns.
▪ Sensitivity to light, glare, and moving or flickering lights; fluorescent lights may be especially
troublesome
▪ Tendency to focus on nearby objects; increased discomfort when focusing at a distance
▪ Increased night blindness; difficulty walking in the dark
▪ Poor depth perception

Hearing (NOTE: There is NO hearing loss with vn)
▪ Hearing loss; distorted or fluctuating hearing
▪ Tinnitus (ringing, roaring, buzzing, whooshing, or other noises in the ear)
▪ Sensitivity to loud noises or environments
▪ Sudden loud sounds may increase symptoms of vertigo, dizziness, or imbalance

Cognitive and psychological
▪ Difficulty concentrating and paying attention; easily distracted
▪ Forgetfulness and short-term memory lapses
▪ Confusion, disorientation, difficulty comprehending directions or instructions
▪ Difficulty following speakers in conversations, meetings, etc., especially when there is background
noise or movement
▪ Mental and/or physical fatigue out of proportion to activity
▪ Loss of self-reliance, self-confidence, self-esteem
▪ Anxiety, panic
▪ Depression

Other
▪ Nausea or vomiting
▪ "Hangover" or "seasick" feeling in the head
▪ Motion sickness
▪ Ear pain
▪ Sensation of fullness in the ears
▪ Headaches
▪ Slurred speech
▪ Sensitivity to pressure or temperature changes and wind currents

Love Frances xx

__________________
Sometimes in the pursuit of happiness we forget just to be happy!!

Hi Frances,

Thank you for putting the list of symptoms on - I'm sure that will answer lots of questions from Labs sufferers.

I'm confused at the moment because GP said I've had Labs (I'm into week 10) and I've seen an ENT consultant and he says that its a complication of ostosclerosis - which is the bones in the ear basically ceasing up causing deafness and tinnitus. However, after reading the symptoms list I can relate to the majority of them!

I'm due back to see the consultant in a couple of weeks - are there any tests I should specifically ask for to rule of Labs? Any advice would be most welcome.

Many thanks.

Katie xx

Thanks Frances - that's really helpful!

Emmiexxx

Wow Frances, thankyou - that's a really comprehensive list. I've been on the VEDA site before but hadn't found that. I've had all of them at some point during this journey, even had the slightly slurred speech at the end of a really long night in the pub on Fri - went nicely with my wobbliness/inability to walk to the door in a straight line towards the impression of drunkness - I felt quite a home with all the tipsy regulars!!!

Cheers,
Clare xxxxxx

__________________
We strongly advise anyone wishing to take up vrt or change/stop medication should consult their doctor first.

Great Frances, well done you. that list will be sooo helpful to newbies especially. thanks, hope you're feeling better hun.

Love Ag xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

__________________





We strongly advise anyone wishing to take up vrt or start/change/stop medication should consult their doctor first.

wow well done frances like agnes says a great list for newbis, and remember new peeps all these symptoms do pass you may just have a few or more than a few but they do pass in time. sending loads of healing thought your ways xxxfairycasey

__________________

thank you frances,

although im in my 3rd year of this, this is still really helpful

thankyou once again frances

much love gayle xx

__________________
We strongly advise anyone wishing to take up vrt or change/stop medication should consult their doctor first.
__________________________________________________ _____________________________


http://www.glittermaker.com/temp-ima...5734789323.gif http://www.stuartsm.com/bear.jpg</div>

Francis Thankyou. That is so very helpful.

Hi! I'm Ogilvie and I've had Lab for 28 years now and although it's not quite as bad as it was to begin with, I still have, on most days, all your signs and symptoms except for the last two.

I'm so glad after all these years of coping on my own, to find a site with other Lab suffers who will understand. I find the discrimination because you look alright very difficult to manage, I used to wish I could turn green or something so people would know I was not exagerating or lying, especially at my work.

Nice to meet you all. I'm sure we'll become good friends.

Love
Ogilvie

Hiya Ogilvie,

Welcome to the site

Cannot believe you've had Labs for so long.....have you pushed to see a neuro-otologist or for VRT at any point? It may be worth it - even at this late stage.

Look forward to getting to know you too,

Sid xx

__________________






"There are 3 kinds of people. Those who can count and those who can't"


We strongly advise anyone wishing to take up vrt or change/stop medication should consult their doctor first.