At Lakeland Hearing we unfortunately do not offer a specific dizzy clinic for people struggling balance disorders. This doesn’t mean we are not interested though. We are always on the look out for ways to help our clients who experience dizziness.

Dizziness occurs when there is a mismatch in the signals reaching the brain from the eyes, the balance organs in the ears and the muscles of the body. Signals from these three areas combine in the brain to create a feeling of steadiness and placement in the environment. If the signal from one of these three systems is not quite right, it can cause an unsteadiness as the brain tries to combine two accurate and one inaccurate signal.

If you are experiencing unsteadiness, please consider your eye sight. Make sure you have the correct prescription glasses and that your eye sight has not altered. Also consider your feet, legs and hips. Do you have diabetes related foot problems, are you waiting for a hip replacement? Could the signals from your musculoskeletal system be iffy? Or could the issue lie within your balance organ in your ears?

The most common cause of vertigo is BPPV (Benign positional paroxysmal vertigo) It happens when the crystals (otoconia) from the balance organs of the inner ear move into the wrong place. Vertigo lasts for a few seconds and occurs when you move your head in a certain way. This can be when rolling over in bed, when bending down or looking up. There is no hearing loss associated with this condition and can resolve on its own although often recovery is quicker with treatment.

Inflammation and infection can cause the semi circular canals (balance organ) to swell, leading to vertigo. This can be as a result of a viral infection and when associated with hearing loss is called Labyrinthitis. Vertigo can last hours or days. This may require vestibular rehabilitation for a complete recovery.

Meniere’s disease is uncommon, however it is identified by four main factors including vertigo. Vertigo attacks, fluctuating hearing loss, tinnitus or ringing in the ear and a feeling of fullness in the ear are all key symptoms of Meniere’s disease.

Vestibular compensation allows the brain to cope with differing signals from the inner ears by relying more on alternative signals from the eyes, ankles legs and feet. Strengthening these other systems allows you to compensate for faults in the balance organ and recover from the vertigo. If BPPV is diagnosed there are a series of manoeuvres that can be performed to reposition the crystals and improve symptoms.

If you are looking for exercises to rehabilitate the balance system, there is an online resource that is available from the University of Southampton. It takes you through a course of vestibular rehabilitation that you can do at home. These exercises can be found by following this link to Balance Retraining.

Please always seek an assessment by a trained professional when investigating the cause of your dizziness.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common question we get asked as audiologists?

Usually, “Pardon?”

All joking aside, the ear and hearing system are incredibly complex, there is a myriad things that can go wrong. The solution to the problem needs to be a bespoke, patient-centred approach as every client is different. This can results in a lot of questions!

If I had to narrow it down to the 3 most common questions, then I would probably say the following:

Q) I can hear, just not clearly - do I have a hearing loss?

A) One of the symptoms of a high frequency or age related hearing loss is a lack of clarity when listening to speech. Good quality, well programmed hearing aids can help restore the clarity to speech.

Q) Why do my ears block up?

A) Ear wax is a protective secretion produced by modified sweat glands in your ear. A small amount of wax is normal and healthy. When the wax blocks up your ear canal, however, it can cause issues with your hearing.

Q) Why should I wear a hearing aid?

A) If you have a hearing loss which has been identified in a hearing assessment it is recommended that you wear a hearing aid to correct the hearing loss. If you do not correct a hearing loss with a hearing aid, it can lead to tiredness, social isolation, poor communication, poor short term memory and it has even been linked to an increase in risk of dementia.

We have created a ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ page on the website so if you have any other questions, please have a look and make use of the search function at the top of the page to help.

We have also created a new jargon busting ‘Glossary’ with the help of BSHAA (British Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists) to provide some definitions to acronyms and technical terminology that you may come across during your hearing journey with us. We try to explain everything to you in terms you will understand but we appreciate there can be a lot to take in at an appointment. Please feel free to refer to the glossary if there is something you don’t understand or just ask us to explain it at your appointment.

We want you to stay at the centre of your care and for you to take control of your hearing loss.

Diabetes and Hearing Loss

 Did you know...

People with diabetes are more likely to develop a hearing loss than people without the disease?

Although the relationship between the two remains unclear, both type 1 and type 2 diabetes increases the risk of developing hearing loss.

One study has shown that people with diabetes are two times more likely to develop hearing loss that people without the disease. Furthermore, hearing loss develops earlier in life for those with diabetes.

It is important for people with a diagnosis of diabetes to have a baseline hearing test to record hearing levels and to then follow up with regular and routine hearing checks throughout life to identify any changes to hearing levels.

Maintaining hearing health will help to keep your hearing system working as well as possible. Avoid putting anything in your ears such as cotton buds or paper clips. If you are being exposed to loud sounds, wear the appropriate hearing protection to avoid noise damage to your hearing. Listen to music through headphones or earbuds at a sensible level and take breaks.

What are the signs of hearing loss to look out for?

• Difficulty hearing in background noise
• Feeling like people are mumbling or speech is muffled
• Mishearing or misunderstanding conversation 
• Tiredness or fatigue at the end of a busy listening day
• People accuse you of not listening

If you feel like you might have a hearing loss, or if you want further information about your hearing please get in touch with us at Lakeland Hearing so we can help you to hear well.