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Introduction

Ponder this: if a cat is dropped upside down, it will land right side up on all four paws. If a newborn infant is tilted backward, its eyes will roll downward so that its gaze remains fixed on the same point. If, as you read this article, you shake your head rapidly from side to side, the print nonetheless will stand still. Each of these scenarios is an example of how a healthy balance (vestibular) system compensates for daily changes in our spatial orientation.

Balance is a state of body equilibrium or stability. We often take for granted how dependent we are on a healthy balance system. When the system breaks down, however, patients will describe symptoms such as dizziness, vertigo, lightheadedness, or motion sickness.

How do patients describe the symptoms caused by balance disorders?

More than two million people per year visit their doctor for vestibular balance disorders.

These disorders are the ninth most...

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