Vision and hearing impairment are two of the most modifiable risk factors that when left untreated, lead to a higher incidence of falls in older adults. We strive to assess patients holistically, understanding how their hearing, balance and cognition affect their daily lives. Our plan of care focuses on preventative, rehabilitative and strategies for impactful …
Peripheral vestibular and somatosensory function decline in later life. They were once thought to be responsible for dizziness in the elderly. However, once these are ruled out, where else should we look? Recent studies are investigating the link between cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) with dizziness. cSVD is common in adults over 60 years and …
June is Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month You can take care of yourself by taking care of your brain. It’s what makes you, YOU! Our brains are like any other muscle in our body; they need frequent exercise. The exciting news is that brain exercises come in a variety of forms. These include art, music, …
In addition to its importance for understanding how we understand speech, Cognitive Screenings helps us understand a patient’s executive function, which is the domain most commonly associated with gait dysfunction. Early detection is key. We strive to assess patients holistically, understanding how their hearing, balance and cognition affect their daily lives. Our plan of care …
Does cognitive impairment increase a patient’s risk for falls? Read More »
Persistent Dizziness – Central, Peripheral or Psychogenic? Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness (PPPD) is the dizziness that lasts for over three months with no clinical explanation for its persistence. Most of these patients are menopausal female with migraines that manifest significant anxiety. PPPD is a relatively new diagnosis that involves the vestibular-thalamic pathways, responsible for body movement …
Persistent Dizziness – Central, Peripheral or Psychogenic? Read More »
We can glean a great amount of information from our standard intake procedures. However, the evaluation of dizzy patients is more difficult due to symptoms that may point us to many possible diagnoses. The Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) is widely used in the assessment of dizziness-related disability and can help us distinguish between patients with …
It may be difficult for the healthcare practitioner to differentiate between BPPV (mechanical) and vestibulopathy (sensorineural) based on symptoms alone. The complaint of vertigo, postural instability, oscillopsia, and vestibular recruitment can point you to either diagnosis. We’ve got you covered. Neurodiagnostic testing of vestibular function plays a critical part in determining etiology of symptoms, and …
As preliminary studies are released on the long term affects of COVID-19, the prevalence of otoneurologic symptoms of tinnitus and balance disorders are present, but not well investigated. Because the inner ear structures are particularly susceptible to ischemia, we are closely following the published evidence that vasculitis is one of the clinical manifestation of COVID-19. As providers, this means looking far …
Tinnitus and Equilibrium Disorders in COVID-19 Patients Read More »
The Prevalence of Dizziness and Imbalance in those 65+is approximately 20% – 30%. As the population ages, we have a growing number of patients who commonly report feelings of unsteadiness, lightheadedness or true vertigo. These symptoms often lead to falls which can cause injury, hospitalization or disability. As the causes for these symptoms are multi-factorial, …
