VARUN DHAWAN DIAGNOSED WITH VESTIBULAR HYPOFUNCTION

Lets understand the disease in a little more depth

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

Opening up about his suffering, the actor said- “Recently, I just shut down. I didn’t know what had happened to me. I had this thing called vestibular hypofunction, (where) basically your balance goes off. But I just pushed myself so hard. We are just running in this race, nobody is asking why”.

Symptoms may include- episodic dizziness, disbalance, and other neurological symptoms like vertigo, nausea, vomiting episodes of profuse generalized sweating, intolerance to head motion, spontaneous nystagmus, unsteady gait, and postural instability.

The disruption in the functioning of the vestibular system which leads to imbalance, may either be peripheral or central based on the anatomy affected. While, the causes may be traumatic, toxic, infectious, genetic, and neurodegenerative, in a large number of cases, no specific cause can be elicited.

Identifying the type of vestibular hypofunction is crucial in determining the therapeutic approach to be taken in managing the condition. There are some medicines such as metoclopramide, promethazine, diphenhydramine, meclizine, and more. Certain lifestyle hacks for vestibular dysfunction such as A low sodium diet of 2 to 3 gm per day, and limiting caffeinated beverages, alcohol, nicotine, stress, monosodium glutamate, and allergens can all help.