Dizziness and Balance Disorders after Traumatic Brain Injury

Dizziness, balance problems, nausea, and vertigo are some of the more common symptoms of traumatic brain injury. In relatively minor cases, these symptoms may only last seconds or a few minutes and never return. More severe brain injuries may result in chronic symptoms that may or may not improve over time. We have all experienced dizziness and balance problems at one time or another, usually as children on a playground, or at an amusement park. Imagine for a moment what it might be like to experience that sensation every waking hour. It should not be much of a stretch to understand how difficult it would be to perform any regular, normal activities while experiencing this.

The vestibular system

Our sense of motion, ability to balance, and ability to focus our eyes while adjusting to motion is controlled by what is called the vestibular system. This system involves a coordinated effort on the part of the inner ears, eyes, and brain to keep us spatially oriented. Traumatic brain injuries often cause disruptions in this system.

Here are a few key facts to consider:

• Dizziness, disorientation, nausea, vertigo and related symptoms accompany nearly all traumatic brain injuries from the very mild to the severe

• Of all types of brain damage associated with TBI, vestibular disruption is often the easiest to detect, diagnose, and treat. However, not all symptoms of vestibular disruption can be detected with contemporary diagnostic tools.

Unfortunately, many TBI-related vestibular disorders get overlooked or ignored, whether it is at the time of the injury or several hours, days, weeks, or months into recovery. Ignoring such symptoms - especially those that are ongoing - causes the already injured brain to overcompensate. This additional stress put on the brain is often enough to lead to myriad behavioral disorders and other negative symptoms. In extreme cases, the symptoms may get severe enough to prevent the TBI patient from having any autonomy when it comes to moving from one place to another.