Vestibular Disorders

An estimated 20% of the general population is affected by a vestibular disorder.¹
At least half of the overall United States population is affected by a balance or vestibular disorder sometime during their lives.²
Approximately 15 out of every 1000 individuals consult their family physician each year with complaints of vertigo, dizziness, or imbalance; half the individuals over the age of 65 will develop positional vertigo.³
Of all falls suffered by the elderly, 50% are reported to be the result of vestibular problems.⁴
In approximately 15% of vestibular patients, the cause cannot be recognized.¹
Traditional vestibular function tests fail to establish a localizing diagnosis that can account for a patient's symptoms in a reported 30% to 50% of cases.⁵
Inner ear problems may not be amenable to surgical treatment, and pharmacological treatment of these conditions with vestibular suppressants often retards the recovery process.³
Vestibular dysfunction is a prominent part of balance disorders, particularly in the elderly, and is a significant source of morbidity.⁶

References:

University of Iowa Health Care. Comprehensive management of vestibular disorders. Currents: Spring 2002, Vol 3, No 2. http://www.uihealthcare.com/news/currents/vol3issue2/03vertigo.html. Accessed Mar 2003.
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. March 1997.
Duke University Medical Center, Dept of Physical & Occupational Therapy. Vestibular Rehabilitation Program. http://www.dukehealth.org/ptot/vestibular_rehab.asp. Accessed Mar 2003.
Biology Seminar presented to NASA headquarters by Dr. James F. Battey, Director, National Institute on Deafness; June 1998.
Hain TC (1995). Treatment of vertigo. The Neurologist; 1:125-33.
Ator GA. University of Kansas Department of Otolaryngology Division of Otology Talk: Vertigo - Evaluation and Treatment in the Elderly. http://www2.kumc.edu/otolaryngology/otology/VertEldTalk.htm. Accessed Mar 2003.