Patient Perspective

Take Sleep Seriously Developing healthy sleep habits is an important part of overall health. The following tips can help you establish habits for better and more consistent sleep. Standard Sleep Time Establish a regular bed

Relaxation can help reduce stress and anxiety. This article introduces tips and tools to help you relax and provides links to supportive resources.

Stress is an automatic response for our body to protect itself from threats. This “fight or flight” sympathetic response is beneficial if you are in a life-threatening situation or require a short-term force of motivation. But, if you experience stress over a prolonged period of time, it could become chronic. Chronic stress can have serious consequences for your brain, body, and mind. In this article you will learn relaxation techniques to help you manage stress.

A person with vestibular dysfunction is easily fatigued when sorting out vision and balance signals in expansive areas, even those that are quiet and calm. This effort becomes daunting in noisy and busy environments such as in large “box” stores, at crowded sporting events, in theaters, or even while navigating city sidewalks with other pedestrians. Such conditions make it difficult for a person to rely on visual clues about balance and movement because everything is moving, lighting isn’t ideal, and stable anchors such as walls are far away. A few simple can help you be more prepared when you cannot avoid crowded spaces.

Do you avoid dining out because public restaurants trigger your vestibular symptoms? Eating out is supposed to be fun, but no one is laughing when you have to leave early because you’ve become dizzy, nauseated, and can’t think straight. With a few simple tips, you’ll be able to have date night again. Read on!

It's not all in your head Dealing with a chronic illness or medical condition goes far beyond the physiological and medical challenges it poses. Chronic illness can strain your view of yourself, your relationships, your

It is common knowledge that seniors are at a higher risk for falls, but did you know that anyone – even teens – can suffer a devastating fall as a result of vestibular dysfunction?

Visual sensitivity from vestibular disorders can be exaggerated when a person uses a computer monitor or watches television.

Many patients who experience dizziness, vertigo, imbalance, and other symptoms that accompany a vestibular disorder feel lost, confused, frustrated, and overwhelmed by the lack of understanding prevalent among their family, friends, and coworkers, and even the medical community. You are not alone! Vestibular disorders are real, medical conditions. You may have been told that your symptoms are all in your head – they are not! Vestibular disorders are underdiagnosed and undertreated. Many patients visit multiple healthcare practitioners over months or even years before they receive an accurate diagnosis. We can help you learn about your condition so that you can be an advocate for your own healthcare. Our provider directory will help you find qualified vestibular specialists who can diagnose you and provide effective treatment.

Become your own healthcare advocate. The more you know, the better you can communicate with your healthcare provider. VeDA’s scientific articles can help you understand the causes of dizziness, how vestibular disorders are diagnosed, how your vision system is connected to your vestibular (inner ear) system, and what are the different types of vestibular disorders.

You are not alone. Millions of people experience vestibular dysfunction. By sharing with others, your own experience is validated, which can give you hope, as well as useful tools for coping with the daily impacts of a chronic illness.

Find out more about:
– In-person and online support groups
– VeDA’s online forum
– Support for your family and friends

Keep up-to-date on new and developing topics in the vestibular community. Join VeDA’s mailing list to receive our monthly e-newsletter, with links to original articles and patient stories, and stay connected via social media.