Vestibular Hypofunction: Symptoms, causes & treatment

CHENNAI: Days after opening up about his Vestibular Hypofunction diagnosis, Bollywood star Varun Dhawan said he has made certain lifestyle changes and is doing much better.

At a conversation session last week, the 35-year-old actor revealed his condition that affects the inner ear's control over the balance of the body.

In a Twitter post on Monday night, Dhawan said he was touched by the love and concern his well wishers showered on him in the past few days.

"Hey guys I know I had recently given an interview where I spoke about my health not being a 100 per cent. The amount of concern and love that has followed has left me humbled and actually very energised to get back to 100 per cent," the actor tweeted.

"To everyone who has been concerned I would like to share I am doing much better with the help of yoga, swimming, physio and a change in lifestyle. Getting sun is the most important. Above all the blessings of Bhagwan (god)," he added.

Dhawan had said that he was pushing himself hard to cope with the condition.

"Recently, I just shut down. I didn't know what had happened to me. I had this thing called vestibular hypofunction, basically your balance goes off. But I just pushed myself so hard.

"We are just running in this race, nobody is asking why. I think there is a greater purpose we are all here. I am trying to find mine, and hopefully, people will find theirs," the actor had said.

What does it mean?

It is a heterogeneous condition that results from defects in either the vestibular organs, eighth cranial nerves, or a combination of the two.

Clinical subtypes:

1. Recurrent vertigo and BVH

2. Rapidly progressive BVH

3. Slowly progressive BVH

4. BVH with neurological deficits

Common symptoms:

• Oscillopsia - Visual disturbance or oscillating of objects in an individual’s vision.

• Imbalance - Losing balance while walking, or feeling imbalance, impairments during activities (walking in the dark or uneven surfaces, or any high-frequency head movements).

• Psychological or Psychiatric Symptoms - Psychiatric disorders such depression, somatic anxiety etc.

• Neurological Symptoms - Neurological diseases such as spinocerebellar ataxia, multiple system atrophy.

• Autonomic Symptoms - Dizziness and fainting when standing, caused by a sudden drop in blood pressure. Urinary problems, such as difficulty starting urination, loss of bladder control.

Tests performed to help diagnose:

• Caloric Test

• Rotatory Chair Test

• Head Impulse Test (HIT)

• Vesitbular-Evoked Myogenic Potentials (VEMP)Dynamic Visual Acuity Test (DVA)

• Torsion Swing Test