Melanie's Story
It was a Saturday afternoon in August 2007, I was at work when I first went dizzy, I remember that I couldn't stand up I was alone in the shop I asked the customers to go and get help as I couldn't move my head with feeling so dizzy. I went home from work later that night, I had the out of hours doctor who said I had an ear infection and needed antibiotics. Over the next few weeks my earache started to get better after a few courses of antibiotics. The doctor said I had Otitis Media as well as a virus that was making me dizzy and off balance it also affected my hearing. I was at the doctors every week saying I was dizzy and not getting any better. In October 2007 I was referred to an ENT specialist who said I had a Eustachian tube dysfunction and that I needed grommets to drain the fluid. I had the operation in February 2008, this did improve my hearing slightly. I was still very dizzy, I found supermarkets, crowds, restaurants and travelling in the car made me more dizzy. At the time I was at university studying educational studies with early childhood. I found it hard to travel to and from university but I did it. A lot of friends and family didn't understand what was wrong with me they thought I was making it up as I had no physical symptoms as it is not like breaking a leg where you could see a pot.
In 2008 I paid to see an ENT Specialist privately, he said that I needed to have an MRI scan to rule out serious causes. I had this done the day after my graduation in 2008, I had another done in October 2008 due to the results of the first scan getting lost. I saw a neurosurgeon in January 2009 who confirmed it wasn't anything serious - I just wanted a diagnosis. By this time I had tried several different medications for dizziness none of them worked. In April 2009 I saw a different ENT specialist he asked lots of questions one of them was when you're in the car does it feel like you're moving when your stopped, which it did the moment he asked that I thought he understands. He did some other tests he got me to march on the spot with my eyes closed which was very hard to do.
After arranging for me to have a group of tests called ENG (electronystagmography), which evaluated my balance by monitoring my eye movements, he diagnosed uncompensated vestibular neuritis a balance disorder resulting from inflammation or infection of the nerve that connects the inner ear to the brain, often due to a virus. In most people, the disorder disappears when the infection clears up, but sometimes there is long-term damage. In my case, I'd been left with bilateral hypofunction, meaning dysfunction in both ears. They also do a caloric test where water is put in the ear during the ENG. Due to one of my grommets leaving my ear drum perforated I couldn't have this done. Two weeks later I started seeing a physiotherapist who gave me exercises to do at home twice a day these focused on getting my eyes , ears and brain back working together. During the time I was doing my exercises I was doing a Post Graduate Certificate in Early Childhood Education and Care at university.
When I left university in 2010 I found it hard to get a job as I couldn't work with young children as I found them moving around a room made me dizzy. I started making jewellery as a hobby I then went on to sell it.. In December 2010 I saw the ENT again who decided to transfer me to another hospital where they had a specialist balance unit and they could do the caloric test with air not water as my ear was still perforated. I got the appointment through and went in January 2011, after I had the tests it was found I was suitable to go to their clinic and try vestibular rehabilitation therapy again. I kept going once a month for the next 10 months. In November 2011 I set up a childrens after school club in my village with some other people this helped me get some normality back in my life. Then in November 2011 I finally got a job working for the NHS doing admin and reception on the bank which meant it was as and when and if I wasn't well enough I could turn work down.
In October 2013 I had an appointment with the ENT again at my local hospital as I was still having problems with my balance he said he would put me in for vestibular rehabilitation again in the same appointment he said he thought my balance and dizziness were stable enough for him to operate and repair my perforated ear drum . I had the operation in January 2013 and I am really glad I had it done my hearing is now back in the normal range. In January 2014 I now don't have to go to physiotherapy every 4 weeks it has been changed to 6 weekly I am still managing to work. I feel like I am starting to get my life back and starting to live normally again. I think that having a problem with my balance has made me a stronger person.
Update
February 2015 I am still going to physiotherapy but it is now every 10 weeks. I am coping with working a lot better then I was. I am 90% better now.
January 2016 I have now been discharged from physiotherapy and I am a lot better.
It was a Saturday afternoon in August 2007, I was at work when I first went dizzy, I remember that I couldn't stand up I was alone in the shop I asked the customers to go and get help as I couldn't move my head with feeling so dizzy. I went home from work later that night, I had the out of hours doctor who said I had an ear infection and needed antibiotics. Over the next few weeks my earache started to get better after a few courses of antibiotics. The doctor said I had Otitis Media as well as a virus that was making me dizzy and off balance it also affected my hearing. I was at the doctors every week saying I was dizzy and not getting any better. In October 2007 I was referred to an ENT specialist who said I had a Eustachian tube dysfunction and that I needed grommets to drain the fluid. I had the operation in February 2008, this did improve my hearing slightly. I was still very dizzy, I found supermarkets, crowds, restaurants and travelling in the car made me more dizzy. At the time I was at university studying educational studies with early childhood. I found it hard to travel to and from university but I did it. A lot of friends and family didn't understand what was wrong with me they thought I was making it up as I had no physical symptoms as it is not like breaking a leg where you could see a pot.
In 2008 I paid to see an ENT Specialist privately, he said that I needed to have an MRI scan to rule out serious causes. I had this done the day after my graduation in 2008, I had another done in October 2008 due to the results of the first scan getting lost. I saw a neurosurgeon in January 2009 who confirmed it wasn't anything serious - I just wanted a diagnosis. By this time I had tried several different medications for dizziness none of them worked. In April 2009 I saw a different ENT specialist he asked lots of questions one of them was when you're in the car does it feel like you're moving when your stopped, which it did the moment he asked that I thought he understands. He did some other tests he got me to march on the spot with my eyes closed which was very hard to do.
After arranging for me to have a group of tests called ENG (electronystagmography), which evaluated my balance by monitoring my eye movements, he diagnosed uncompensated vestibular neuritis a balance disorder resulting from inflammation or infection of the nerve that connects the inner ear to the brain, often due to a virus. In most people, the disorder disappears when the infection clears up, but sometimes there is long-term damage. In my case, I'd been left with bilateral hypofunction, meaning dysfunction in both ears. They also do a caloric test where water is put in the ear during the ENG. Due to one of my grommets leaving my ear drum perforated I couldn't have this done. Two weeks later I started seeing a physiotherapist who gave me exercises to do at home twice a day these focused on getting my eyes , ears and brain back working together. During the time I was doing my exercises I was doing a Post Graduate Certificate in Early Childhood Education and Care at university.
When I left university in 2010 I found it hard to get a job as I couldn't work with young children as I found them moving around a room made me dizzy. I started making jewellery as a hobby I then went on to sell it.. In December 2010 I saw the ENT again who decided to transfer me to another hospital where they had a specialist balance unit and they could do the caloric test with air not water as my ear was still perforated. I got the appointment through and went in January 2011, after I had the tests it was found I was suitable to go to their clinic and try vestibular rehabilitation therapy again. I kept going once a month for the next 10 months. In November 2011 I set up a childrens after school club in my village with some other people this helped me get some normality back in my life. Then in November 2011 I finally got a job working for the NHS doing admin and reception on the bank which meant it was as and when and if I wasn't well enough I could turn work down.
In October 2013 I had an appointment with the ENT again at my local hospital as I was still having problems with my balance he said he would put me in for vestibular rehabilitation again in the same appointment he said he thought my balance and dizziness were stable enough for him to operate and repair my perforated ear drum . I had the operation in January 2013 and I am really glad I had it done my hearing is now back in the normal range. In January 2014 I now don't have to go to physiotherapy every 4 weeks it has been changed to 6 weekly I am still managing to work. I feel like I am starting to get my life back and starting to live normally again. I think that having a problem with my balance has made me a stronger person.
Update
February 2015 I am still going to physiotherapy but it is now every 10 weeks. I am coping with working a lot better then I was. I am 90% better now.
January 2016 I have now been discharged from physiotherapy and I am a lot better.