What are the most common symptoms of vestibular disorders?
                     WHAT ARE THE MOST 
COMMON SYMPTOMS OF 
VESTIBULAR DISORDERS?
Vestibular disorders 
Symptoms
A vestibular system present in the inner ear 
comprises vestibular nerves and cochlea. 
They are responsible for sending sensory 
signals from the inner ear to the brain that 
helps in regulating the balance of the body, 
hearing, and eye movements.
Any inflammation, injury, or disorder in the 
vestibular nerves or cochlea results in 
causing vestibular disorders that often result 
in making a person feel dizzy all of a 
sudden. The sensory message sent from the 
inner ear to the brain is not properly 
communicated. The interrupted message 
thus results in making a person lose balance 
and feel dizzy.  
Dizziness, difficulty in maintaining balance & 
vertigo are some of the most common symptoms 
that come along with the vestibular disorder. 
Apart from it, one may even experience difficulty 
in hearing ability and conflicted eye movements. 
Vertigo conditions affect the quality of life and 
simple activities like walking, jogging, etc. seem 
a tiring task. Sudden occurrence of repeated 
vertigo bouts makes it difficult for a person to 
live with it. Vertigo dizziness may occur anytime 
without any warning signs. It may prove to be 
life-threatening if it appears when one is driving 
amidst traffic or lifting heavyweights. 
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), 
Labyrinthitis, Vestibular neuritis, Meniere's 
disease, Perilymphatic fistula, Acoustic 
neuroma, Vestibular migraine, etc. are some 
of the most common vestibular disorders 
commonly diagnosed in patients.
It is advised to seek medical help as soon as 
you start experiencing any symptoms of 
Vestibular disorders. An expert neurologist 
will diagnose the condition closely and will 
carry a series of vertigo tests to diagnose 
the underlying condition. He would suggest 
the right Vestibular disorders treatment as 
per the condition and advise to practice 
vertigo exercises daily at home for up to 3-4 
weeks to ease the condition.
In this article, we will share some of the 
most common symptoms of Vestibular 
disorders that are generally experienced by 
patients. Let’s dig in to get more insight into 
the symptoms of vestibular disorders!
Most common symptoms of 
vestibular disorders
The symptoms of the vestibular disorder may range from mild 
to severe and in some cases even remain persistent. It 
entirely depends on the severity of the condition. A person 
experiencing vestibular disorders becomes overly anxious and 
lazy due to the emergence of symptoms every now and then. 
Simple activities like getting out of the bed in the morning, 
accomplishing daily and official chores, simple walking or 
running, etc. become a tremendous task to accomplish and 
the functioning of the body becomes extremely slow. The 
symptoms may vary from person to person depending on the 
severity of the condition. Here is a list of vestibular disorder 
symptoms experienced by patients. If you are experiencing 
the vestibular disorder, you may experience a set of 
symptoms or either of them. Let’s have a look at some: 
Dizziness and Vertigo spells
A sensation of spinning where a room or nearby 
environment seems to spin around or you may feel you 
are spinning all by yourself, which in reality is static is 
known as vertigo. Sudden bouts of vertigo spells can 
occur anytime without any warning. The slightest 
movement in the position of the head triggers the 
symptoms even further. Getting up suddenly from a 
specific position or waking up suddenly in the morning 
after a long sleep contributes to trigger vertigo 
conditions. A person experiencing the vestibular 
disorder may feel lightheaded and experience sudden 
bouts of dizziness. Apart from vertigo and dizziness 
spells, one may experience a sensation of being pulled 
in one direction.
Balance Issues
Difficulty in maintaining body balance is one 
of the most common symptoms of vestibular 
disorder. One may experience difficulty in 
walking or even changing positions, 
maintaining straight posture, coordinating. 
Apart from it, Imbalance issues, stumbling, 
clumsiness, tilting of the head in one 
direction, and so on are some of the other 
scenarios experienced by patients of 
vestibular disorder. 
Changes in vision
Vision changes are experienced by patients of vestibular 
disorders. They experience changes in vision which make 
it difficult for them to focus or track objects with eyes. 
Some patients may even experience a blurry or a doubled 
vision which directly affects the quality of life by 
hampering daily chores. The vestibular disorder results in 
causing discomfort from visual stimuli. Crowded 
environments like traffic, stores, markets, etc. trigger the 
condition even further. Some people may even experience 
sensitivity to flashy or fluorescent lights which may create 
a lot of trouble for the patients experiencing vestibular 
disorders as they find it difficult to work on screens. Night 
blindness and difficulty in walking in the dark are an 
addon that makes the condition worse. 
Changes in hearing ability
Not all but some patients may experience 
changes in hearing ability. Hearing loss or 
fluctuations in hearing & sensitivity to loud noises 
are experienced by the patients suffering from 
vestibular disorders. Apart from it, some may 
even experience tinnitus due to the underlying 
condition of vestibular disorder.  A ringing, hissing, 
buzzing, or whistling sensation in the inner ear 
without any external sound is known as tinnitus. If 
one is experiencing tinnitus due to vestibular 
disorder, exposure to loud noises makes 
symptoms like vertigo and dizziness intense.
Cognitive issues
Patients of the vestibular disorder are easily 
distracted as they experience difficulty in 
concentrating. Apart from it, confusion, 
disorientation, short-term memory lapses 
are other cognitive issues experienced along 
with vestibular disorders. It becomes nearly 
impossible for a patient to understand and 
concentrate on conversations with a noisy 
background. 
Psychological issues
It is difficult to deal with a situation that 
hampers the quality of life. A person 
suffering from vestibular disorders may 
experience anxiety, panic attacks, social 
isolation, depression, loss of self-reliance, 
self-confidence, self-esteem, and so on. 
Some other common symptoms 
Apart from the major symptoms discussed above, 
patients of vestibular disorders may even experience 
nausea, vomiting, motion sickness, fullness in the 
ears, headaches, and slurred speech as well. If you 
are experiencing any of the above-mentioned 
symptoms, consult a health care professional 
immediately. An expert doctor will examine your 
condition closely by seeking a complete medical 
history and carrying various tests. He would suggest 
the right Vestibular disorders treatment accordingly 
and prescribe certain antibiotics and vertigo exercises 
to alleviate the condition completely.