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Dizziness is the third most frequent reason people seek medical attention. It can be challenging for family doctors and frustrating for patients affected by balance issues because dizziness has many causes. Isolating the cause with the right diagnosis can identify the treatment plan that will help. People of all ages struggle with dizziness, vertigo, and imbalance. The Balance Center of Decatur ENT diagnoses and treats a variety of pediatric and adult balance problems.

Causes of dizziness and imbalance

In most cases dizziness is not a sign of a serious health problem.

  • Vertigo: The feeling of spinning or movement that occurs when the brain receives conflicting signals from the eyes, inner ear, and body.
  • Dysequilibrium: The feeling of imbalance (but not spinning) that can occur if the signal path between the body and brain is disrupted.
  • Vestibular Balance Disorders: Dizziness caused from inner ear issues.
  • Imbalance: Issues due to head injury, stroke, or diabetic neuropathy, and other neurologic problems.
  • Syncope: Losing consciousness or fainting due to cardiovascular problems.

You don't have to live with dizziness.

Our comprehensive Balance Center has a dedicated facility with university-standard equipment for onsite inner ear, vertigo, and imbalance testing, balance therapy, and vestibular rehab by licensed physical therapist with over 30+ years’ experience. Recent expansion allowed the Balance Center to greatly enhance therapy and rehab areas permitting patients with vertigo, imbalance, or movement coordination problems to be diagnosed and treated all at one location.

With a specialized team of dedicated physicians and a doctor of audiology, The Balance Center has treated over 5,000 patients and regularly receives balance patient referrals from Vanderbilt University. After diagnosis, patients can be managed with a wide variety of medical, surgical, and rehabilitative treatments. Our goal is to work closely with the patient, family, and other physicians to return the patient to a maximum level of activity.

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Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialists

The Balance Center of Decatur ENT is a comprehensive program with a team of medical professionals specifically trained to evaluate and diagnose balance disorders and implement effective treatment strategies. The Balance Team consists of physicians board certified ear, nose, and throat specialists (ENT, Otolaryngology), an audiologist, and a physical therapist all at one facility with the latest technology.

Our experienced and knowledgeable staff of physicians, specialists and therapists provide a wide range of medical services as well as highly specialized care. Because there are many causes of dizziness, our physicians will review your health history and perform an exam to isolate balance and inner ear issues with specialized testing. Dizziness can often be a symptom of various other disorders or conditions such as: problems of the inner ear, disorders of the central nervous system, high blood pressure, or bacterial or viral infection. Our ear, nose, and throat specialists  can resolve your balance issues or greatly improve your balance by treating common disorders associated with balance problems like dizziness (or vertigo), blurred vision, and vestibular migraines.

Following the initial exam, patients will begin to see other doctors, head specialists, and nurses, to begin their specialized treatment. Along with physical therapy through our Fyzical® Therapy & Balance Center, our team wants you to not only regain your balance, but also optimal health and wellness. Our comprehensive therapy programs focus on balance disorders as well as auto accidents, orthopedic problems and sports injury. No matter what ailment or injury is causing your balance disorder, our Balance Team at Decatur ENT can handle it.

Our compassionate team of experts is dedicated to delivering the highest level of care for all our patients. We serve patients of all ages from pediatrics to adults to the elderly.

Balance Treatments

Once the cause of your dizziness and imbalance is properly diagnosed, your ear, nose & throat doctor will select the appropriate strategy to treat and monitor your progress with a specialized therapy program. Standard dizziness, vertigo, and balance treatments range with the following approaches:

The following tips can be immediately implemented to managing dizziness by avoiding problem positions, activities, and medications. Monitor your blood pressure and contact your family physician if it is very high or very low. Diabetics also need to monitor blood sugar. There are many cause of dizziness not related to inner ear issues. Sit or lie down immediately when dizzy and do not walk without assistance. After standing up, count to 10 before walking. Never exercise when dizzy unless directed otherwise by your therapist. Stay in well-lit areas to rely on your vision for balance when dizzy. Practice fall precautions as you are at a greater risk for fall when dizzy. Do not walk while wearing reading glasses. Do not walk while wearing bifocals/trifocals Talk to your family physician about medications as some medications cause dizziness.

Monitoring diet can be useful in treating inner ear issues such as Meniere’s disease caused by excess fluid. Reducing sodium (salt) intake can help. The best way to do this is to eat only fresh food avoiding packaged, canned, or dried foods that add salt.

Most inner ear medicines are a temporary measure to alleviate symptoms rather than treat the cause. The Balance Center prescribes balance treatment medications that treat specific medical causes. Talk to your ear, nose, & throat doctor about what would be best for you.

Our staff physical therapist evaluates and treats vestibular disorders with this specialized type of rehabilitation designed for your specific inner ear and balance disorder. Combinations of visual, balance, and strengthening exercises are used to help retrain the brain to compensate for any weaknesses occurring in the inner ear or Vestibular system.

Balance therapy is a specialized plan of treatment for patients that are unsteady on their feet, or experience dizziness or decreased mobility due to poor balance. Our fall prevention therapy program teaches special exercises, and shows ways to increase safety for patients that are motion sensitive, have fallen, or fear of falling. Other therapy treatments offered are also appropriate for patients recovering from hip or knee replacement, brain surgery, stroke, car accident, concussion, or neuropathy.

Canalith Repositioning Procedure (Epley or roll maneuver) is a vertigo and balance treatment which involves simple maneuvers for repositioning displaced inner ear crystals. Often, one treatment can eliminate dizziness immediately. If dizziness recurs, repeat treatments can be done. Each treatment takes about 20-30 minutes and can be done during a regular ear, nose, & throat doctor office visit.

The physicians of the Balance Center can perform in-office surgical procedures that can lessen or stop vertigo with a steroid inner ear perfusion. This short procedure allows medicines to be instilled in the inner ear and can be much more effective than medications by mouth and avoid systemic effects. The placement of the medicine takes 5 minutes and patient will lie still for 20 minutes following the procedure.

Balance Tests

The Balance Center of Decatur ENT understands that dizziness can make ordinary tasks like rolling over, sitting up, or bending over challenging. If these movements make you feel as though you are spinning or nauseated and disrupt daily life, our specialized team can help. Call To Book An Appointment The Balance Center is equipped for comprehensive balance and inner ear testing and treatment. We offer an expert team to interpret results and treatments ranging from medical and in-office surgical treatment to balance therapy and rehabilitation all in one convenient location. New patients will meet with our ear, nose, and throat doctors to rule out more serious health issues that could cause dizziness. After reviewing the health history including an initial physical exam along with balance and hearing tests, you and your physician will plan the next steps in diagnosis and treatment. If needed, further inner ear testing can be ordered with the Balance Center’s computerized testing equipment. After initial screening, should you need to return for testing, plan to stay two hours for a comprehensive range of tests. The tests and procedures done at the Balance Center are non-invasive and painless, but, as a safety precaution, please bring someone to drive you home.

Imbalance Tests

A computerized test of your balance and specific areas that are causing problems

A video or electrode recording of eye movements to evaluate inner ear mechanism

A procedure designed for positional vertigo (BPV)

A functional balance evaluation for the development of a balance rehabilitation program

A computerized analysis of auditory and vestibular nerve responses elicited from using earphones and recording electrodes placed on your scalp and near you ears you will hear sounds and clicks. You will be asked to lie still and relaxed, some people even choose to sleep. (ABR, EcoG, VEMP) Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR)Evaluates brain waves generated with the auditory system to evaluate hearing loss and any disorder which might affect the central nervous system associated with inner ear hearing and balance. Electrocochleography (ECOG) Detects Meniere’s syndrome which affects inner ear fluid pressure. Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials (VEMP) Assess the lower branch of the balance nerve and its interconnections within the brain to detect tilt acceleration and up/down movements.

Fall Prevention Program

Our balance anf fall prevention doctors take your balance seriously.

Falls in the elderly resulting in hip fractures have a significant mortality risk. Dizziness is not an inevitable part of aging. Having a proactive lifestyle of balance and exercise can significantly decrease these risks.

Do you limit activities because you are afraid you might fall? Have you fallen in the last 12 months? Do you often have difficulty seeing clearly? When seated, do you have difficulty getting back to a standing position? When you stand, do you sometimes feel lightheaded, dizzy, or off-balance? Is it sometimes difficult to walk because you feel stiff or weak? Do you take three or more prescribed medications each day? Are some items at home difficult to move because you need to reach for them or have to carry them down stairs?

Fall Prevention Program

Our specialized staff and balance and fall doctors train patients on methods to help them decrease risks for future falls by planned movement methods and safety techniques. Learn how to safely… move in and out of a chair, bath tub, bed walk and life with balance techniques recover from a fall with positional maneuvers

Staying active is one of the best methods to prevent falls. Proper and safe exercise can help improve balance, increase flexibility, and build strength and endurance. Our Balance Therapy program Exercise to enhance balance skills: Tai chi Wii aerobics Resistance training with elastics

Don’t let the fear of falling slow you down.

Decrease your fall risk with our program. For individual therapy or rehab sessions, schedule your appointment with a balance and fall doctor today. To participate in a group session call for upcoming class schedule.

(256) 355-6200 (256) 351-5016

Tips for Today

The Balance Center of Decatur ENT and our balance and fall doctors care about your health and safety. The following tips can be implemented immediately in your home to help decrease fall hazards. Remove items that can trip you like throw rugs, cords, hoses or vines Store boxes or shoes in closets or off the floor Clean up spills right away Replace glass tables with wooden ones, they are safer if you fall Add handrails to stairs Add grab bars in bathroom Get a reaching tool to avoid climbing Improve lighting in halls, bedrooms and bathrooms Have loose floor, porch, or stair boards repaired Have holes or cracks in sidewalks or driveways repaired Get help in winter weather for snow and ice removal