COPING WITH DIZZINESS AND IMBALANCE: SURGERY AND EXERCISE PROGRAMS
Surgery
If you have extreme, long-lasting vertigo you may be offered surgery. People differ greatly in their suitability for surgery and a surgeon will examine each case before recommending any form of treatment.
There are several types of surgery for Meniere's disease. These try to reduce the pressure of fluid in the inner ear without damaging the hearing. Some people find these operations very helpful but they do have variable results and cannot be guaranteed to relieve dizziness. Another form of surgery used for all types of dizziness involves completely removing all remaining function in the faulty balance organ. This will usually be very effective as long as the rest of the balance system is working properly. Unfortunately, this operation also results in a complete loss of hearing in that ear. An alternative surgical treatment is to cut the nerve from the faulty balance organ. This does not damage the hearing, and again in most cases is very effective if the rest of the balance system is healthy, but it is quite a major operation which involves some risks.
Exercise Programs
Once the balance system starts to settle down after a severe attack of vertigo you may be left with some milder but longer lasting giddiness, sometimes made worse by particular movements. A natural reaction is to avoid these movements and people who have suffered from dizziness often move rather carefully, slowly and even stiffly. However, moving in this way prevents the balance system from ever fully returning to normal, and causes other problems such as muscle tension and pain (usually in the neck), headaches, and a general loss of confidence.
In fact, the reason for the long-lasting slight dizziness is that the signals given out by the balance organs have changed, but the brain has not adjusted to the new pattern of signals coming from the balance senses. The solution is to "reprogram" the balance system by giving the brain plenty of practice with the new pattern of signals. The only way to do this is to make all sorts of movements in all positions so the brain may relearn the various balance patterns. This is how a carefully planned exercise program can help to clear up dizziness.
You will first need some guidance and support, so ask your doctor what facilities there are in your area for exercising under professional supervision. The therapist will help you work out which movements need to be practiced and will encourage you to do this at your own pace, beginning very gently so that you do not make yourself really dizzy. As the balance system gradually becomes accustomed to one set of movements you can go on to some new or more vigorous ones. After a few weeks or months you should be able to move around quickly, freely and naturally.
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