The vestibular system includes the parts of the inner ear and brain that process sensory information involved with controlling balance and eye movements. If disease or injury damages these processing areas, vestibular disorders can result.

Because of how difficult it can be to accurately diagnose and report vestibular disorders, statistics regarding their prevalence and incidence range widely. The most commonly diagnosed vestibular disorders include benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), labrynthitis or vestibular neuritis, Meniere's disease, and secondary endolymphatic hydrops.

Symptoms of vestibular disorders may be mild, perhaps lasting only seconds or minutes; or, they may be severe, resulting in total disability.

There are many possible causes of vestibular disorders. Ear infection, head injury, and whiplash are the most common cause of vestibular disorders in people under 50 years of age, but aging brings its own set of challenges to the vestibular system. In many cases, the underlying cause of a vestibular disorder can't be determined. For example, the definition of Meneire's disease is "the idiopathic syndrome of endolymphatic hydrops." Idiopathic means "of unknown cause." Likewise, although head injury and advancing age are common causes of BPPV, almost half of all cases have no identifiable underlying cause.

From VEDA publication B-1, Balancing Act (2nd edition).