Subs - Need some advice please! - Inner Ear Disorders Message Board

Miza03 · 08-19-2003, 06:50 AM

Subs and fellow dizzies.
I am finally starting to feel better after more than five months of this mess. I need some advice on how to completely rid myself of this monster.
My typical day goes like this:
I wake up in the morning and feel fine until I start moving around. After showering, drying hair and doing all the moring activities, including driving to work. I feel pretty bad. Kind of an off feeling in my head.
When I try to read thats when the real fun begins. Even the glare from the white paper hurts my eyes and everything seems jumbled. About once an hour I walk away and clear my head, but the same jumbled feeling comes back when I try to read. It doesn't matter where I am when I try to read, work, home a restaurant the feeling is the same.
In the evenings, I have hours of time when I feel almost completely normal. If I over do it, I get a weird dizzy feeling that will go away within a half hour or so. I feel so good sometimes that I think this monster is going for good, but the next day brings the same problems all over again. I should also mention that if I try to read during these periods when I feel really good, I get that jumbled word sensation all over again.
I almost think that my brain has managed to compensate for a lot of the activities I do except for reading. This surprises me, because I managed to work through the worst of the dizzies and never stopped reading.

Any ideas of how to force my brain to completely compensate. I have been trying to read as much as I can for as long as I can stand it but there is only so much I can take.

I have had my eyes examined and it is not a vision problem.

Thanks for all your help.
You all have been a great source of encouragement.

hbep · 08-19-2003, 07:12 AM

Hi there,

Are you doing VRT? It sounds like you might benefit a great deal from the exercises that require you to focus on an object etc.... I don't know if the answer is reading as much a possible, sounds like over stimulation. I think short bursts is probably more like it.

Just to make you feel better, in the first 5 months of this rubbish, I had a dreadful time reading - that symptom is much, much better now, but it took a while. I was forced to work at a computer, writing, I had to keep taking breaks and was v. muddled, could barely understand what I was reading, but it did go.

Sounds like you're on the way to recovery, I know it's frustrating but you'll get there.

best,

hbep.

Subs30 · 08-19-2003, 07:53 AM

......."I wake up in the morning and feel fine until I start moving around."..........

Yep just like me at month 5/6----brain is receiving many signals---from your vestibular system---that it does not get when you still---for that position you have compensated---to a large extent----not unusual at all

...."I feel pretty bad. Kind of an off feeling in my head."........

Again not unusual at all---brain is in hyperdrive---trying to deal---with new balance info from vestibular system---impacts cognitive ability---and since inner ear(vestibular system) is not totally healed---the brain is relying on "Vision" info---the brain needs/wants three inputs:---Vision------vestibualr-------signals from feet sensors,spine, etc..(can't remember name begins with "P")---big processing load on the brain---but it is learning---but it is taking alot of processing effort---to recognize what is good and should be---fine tuned and---moved to memory---then to subconscious memory---old "Neurons"(brain cells) are really "firing away" communicating with other "Neurons" trying to lay down a pattern that is judged good by the brain and lock it in------as the old Neurological saying goes "Neurons that fire together stay together"---again not unusual at all----sounds like its working for you just not 100% yet---but it will!

...."In the evenings, I have hours of time when I feel almost completely normal".....

Again not unusual---exactly the path I followed---------brain has less to deal with at this point---and thinks it has a handle on---the inputs.

......"brain has managed to compensate for a lot of the activities I do except for reading."........

All the medical articles/research in this area that I could find---show that Vision----which is normally 40% of the input to the brain's balance process-----is the toughest for the brain to handle/capture/laydown a pattern/etc......It(vision) is also not always a good indicator(to the brain) as to where in space your body is/at---and can be fooled---easily----in the overall scheme of the bodies "balance mechanism" it was never designed/intended to play such a large roll-----it is only the fact that the vestibular system is "NOT" yet back and picking up it's 30% of the input/load that forces the brain to use the vision signal to such a large and unattended extant-------so again-----not unusual-----in most people it is the last "Neuron" pattern to be laid down and locked in------but from what you saying------it is happening!!! Oh by-the-way----you can test/see this theory in action----just try and do the foot in front of the other---that "I Robertson" talks about in her post---with the eyes closed----i.e., without the "Vision" signal----boy---the brain then has---no vision input a bad vestibular input & just the feet/spine input----can't keep your "balance"----but with healing & practice---you get back on track----just takes time---to laydown the "Neuron" patterns and lock them in------after all when you where just learning to walk---as a child---it took time----ever watch them----looks like they are going to lose it---then they catch themselves---regain balance---and start off again---learning all the way---{;-}.

...."Any ideas of how to force my brain to completely compensate.".........

Again--------"Neurons that fire together stay together"--------if by "force" you mean practice/repetitive/positions---causing patterns to be generated and remembered by the brain----then going about your day---with vestibular exercises----and time is all you can do----and you are doing that!

Remember---also----what the Neurologist said----it was contained in one of the posts here-----"If you where an Trapeze Artist you would have compensated------how true that is-----since the underlying brain patterns---are not forgotten---and a Trapeze Artist would have been in every position known to man-------not forgotten------just need to be fine tuned---for the new situation---and then locked in---and your doing that!!!

Oh---no you said you had seen a Eye Doc---but below is a article on this junk---but from a "Eye Doc's" point of view---gets into the eye glasses---types---ratios etc....& the visions role---when the vestibular system is hurt----interesting:

[url="http://www.opt.pacificu.edu/ce/catalog/COPE7282/Dizzy.html"]http://www.opt.pacificu.edu/ce/catalog/COPE7282/Dizzy.html[/url]

Miza03 · 08-19-2003, 09:11 AM

Thanks Hbep and Subs
You always know what to say to provide encouragement.

Subs keep sending those good feel vibes up the PA Turnpike to Harrisburg.

Take Care