What is Vestibular Neuritis and Vestibular Migraines?
- Vestibular Neuritis is a neurological condition that affects the way the way the brain receives signals to balance. It is caused by damage to the vestibular nerve in the ear.
- Vestibular Migraines are a nervous system problem. If the brain sends wrong signals to our balance system, this can lead to headaches, dizziness, sensitivity to light or sound and blurred vision.
What does all of that really mean? What is it like to live with this?
Hoping to reach others experiencing something similar; this is what I have learnt/ struggled with over the past 7 half months as I continue to try and beat this illness.
- VN + VM starts with having the life you lived previously, ripped away from under your feet, not knowing when normal life will resume.
- Vertigo is not a diagnosis, it’s a symptom.
- Each day is very different.
- No surgery, quick fix or timeline to recovery, has given resilience a whole new meaning.
- Feeling dizzy most days does not provide me with a spiritual awakening.
- A good day can still feel like i have a hangover, or feeling 'off'.
- Not being in hospital, combined with having an invisible illness, means it can get increasingly lonely and a huge mental battle.
- I have experienced social anxiety, as I am unable to socialise in ways I used to before.
- Fear of judgement.
- Moving objects are very difficult for my eyes, ears and brain to compute.
- Loud environments can sometimes be overstimulating leading me to lose balance.
- No endorphins due to lack of exercise. Not able to enjoy something I love- playing sport and running.
- The good old saying progress is not linear, runs true.
- Overpowering frustrations as I want to get back out into the world and live normally again.
- I will never take the ability to balance and move my body for granted ever again.
- Sensitivity to light and sound, has been some of the most painful physical experiences.
- To all the covid sceptics/ theories that covid is the same as the flu- I can confirm in my case it’s not.
HOWEVER…some positives
- I have regained a lot of my balance through vestibular therapy.
- I have managed to do some runs.
- I have been to some restaurants and seen great friends.
- I got a new job.
- With the tears there has been laughs and good days.
- To everyone that has asked about it/asked to see me and provided support- THANK YOU.
To finish….
I believe, not enough research goes into vestibular disorders, it sits quietly in the dark with not much attention drawn to it. I personally had never come across this illness until experiencing it first-hand. I went in and out of A&E 3 times being told I had a cold, I was stressed and over doing it, nothing was wrong and that I would be fine in a few days or so- here we are nearly 8 months on.
Luckily, I was finally referred and have a great team of vestibular specialists working with me.
If you are experiencing this invisible illness, you are not alone, it is real, and there are people out there that can help.
