One of the most important safety measures while on a boat is to keep your balance. After all, the boat’s deck is moving up, down, and sideways. Crossing the deck, you are in motion on a surface that is moving as well. The last thing you want to feel is dizzy.
But that is just what a large number of people do feel, whether they are on a boat or standing stock still on land. A person’s inner ear may be out of whack, and when that happens, the world feels out of whack too.
There are a number of things that can cause feelings from mild dizziness or incapacitating vertigo (vertigo is the sensation of motion or spinning). Let’s look at the two most common.
A cold or the flu can cause inner ear inflammation. Inflammation may be in the labyrinth of your inner ear, a delicate structure that looks like its name. The labyrinth is made up of fluid-filled channels which control balance and hearing.
When you move your head, the fluid in the channels moves. This tells the brain which direction and how fast you are which then allows the body to balance in space.
With labyrinthitis, the labyrinth gets inflamed, swells, and sends misinformation to your brain which causes dizziness. Symptoms of acute labyrinthitis include vertigo; your eyes moving on their own, making it hard to focus; hearing loss in one ear; loss of balance; tinnitus (ringing in your ears); nausea and vomiting. Labyrinthitis usually goes away within a few weeks.
Viral labyrinthitis is quite common in adults. Children most often suffer from bacterial labyrinthitis.
Certain factors raise your risk for labyrinthitis:
Drinking large amounts of alcohol
Fatigue
History of allergies
Smoking
Stress
Then there’s Meniere’s Disease.
Meniere’s disease affects the vestibular system, which lies behind your ear. While the exact cause is not fully known, the disease involves a buildup of fluid in the inner ear. This extra fluid increases the pressure in the inner ear, which then disrupts the vestibular system. Meniere’s disease does not clear up; it is a lifelong disorder.
Symptoms of Meniere’s disease include regular dizzy spells that start and stop suddenly. Vertigo also occurs, which may last for minutes or up to 12 hours. There might also be hearing loss that comes and goes. Tinnitus is also common, as well as a feeling of fullness in the ear.
Researchers aren’t clear about what leads to Meniere’s disease. The Mayo Clinic cites factors such as poor fluid drainage due to a blockage or irregular ear shape, autoimmune disorders, a viral infection, or genetics.
Meniere’s disease can happen at any age but it usually starts between the ages of 40 to 60.
Medicine can help reduce the buildup of fluids. People suffering from Meniere’s disease also use certain self-care techniques to tamp down a vertigo attack.
Among them are sitting or lying down, avoiding sudden movement and bright lights, and not reading or watching television, which can make symptoms worse.
Whatever the cause, make sure that when you step on board your vessel you can keep your balance!
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