Here And Now

This week is Balance Awareness Week and your ears and the ability to balance normally have a lot more in common than you may think. Below are a few common issues that can affect your balance and how you may be able to treat them.

Earwax build-up

An earwax build-up can do more than just affect your hearing; the blockage can also cause balance issues. You tend to be more prone and at risk of an earwax build-up, however, it can happen to anyone if you’re sticking objects such as cotton buds in your ear to clean them. The most effective way to clean wax from your ear is micro-suction which is a safe and painless method to remove wax from the ear canals.

Vertigo

Vertigo, official known as Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, is the feeling of dizziness and feeling off-balanced caused by small calcium crystals in your inner ear becoming dislodged and causes your brain to receive wrong signals about your movements. So, when you move your head, it can cause you to experience a sudden spinning spell. It can also be caused by Labyrinthitis, the inflammation of the part of the inner ear called the labyrinth.

Tinnitus

Tinnitus is not a disease or an illness, it is the term for hearing sounds in the ears or the head which are not from an external sound source. Tinnitus can sound different to different individuals, a few common descriptions of how tinnitus can sound include but are not limited to; ringing, buzzing, whistling, humming, ticking or hissing. Tinnitus can cause irritation and can also have an affect on your balance as the vestibular and cochlear nerves run through the inner ear to the brain to transmit the sound and motion signals. Meniere's disease, labyrinthitis, middle ear infection or any other disorientation affecting this system, lead to vertigo and tinnitus.

Contact your local Ear Place to find out more.