Vestibular disorder at age 15

Doctor Phat is testing Nhung's vestibular function using the Interacoustic system.

"This is the youngest case of vestibular disorder that we have treated," said Dr. Truong Tan Phat, Head of the ENT Department, Tam Anh General Clinic, District 7, adding that each year the rate of adolescent patients with vestibular disorders at Tam Anh General Hospital system accounts for about 5%.

Nhung’s symptoms have been occurring more frequently in the past 3 months. For the past year, Nhung has been studying and using electronic devices for nearly 20 hours a day, sleeping 2-3 hours a night. Three months ago, Nhung was hospitalized for fever, headache, dizziness, and weakness.

Nystagmography ( VNG ) test showed that Nhung's eye reflexes were slow and irregular, with slight nystagmus appearing when following moving objects. Nhung was given glasses with a vHIT (Video Head Impulse Test) camera, then suddenly rotated in all directions. The results showed that the right vestibular reflex, eye movements did not keep up with head movements.

Doctor Phat diagnosed Nhung with vestibular dysfunction, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV right posterior semicircular canal). Vestibular disorders can have peripheral or central causes and are common in middle-aged and elderly people due to the decline in the function of the information and sensory receptors. In young people, this decline is often due to stress, stress, unreasonable eating and sleeping habits, anxiety disorders, trauma or there may be no clear cause.

Vestibular disorder is a condition of damage to the vestibular region in the ear or brain, the 8th cranial nerve, the nerve connections in the brain... disrupting the transmission and processing of information of the vestibular system. Symptoms include dizziness, lightheadedness, loss of balance...

The vestibular system of adolescents is not fully developed, making it easy for eye balance and body sensation to be disturbed, increasing the risk of dizziness due to visual stimulation. Factors that can easily cause physical weakness such as stress, lack of sleep, poor lifestyle habits, migraines due to hormonal changes, and neck and shoulder pain also contribute to increased dizziness during this period.

Treatment of vestibular disorders at this age mainly focuses on vestibular rehabilitation therapy combined with lifestyle, diet, and sleep, without the need for medication. Nhung is trained in vestibular rehabilitation and needs to sleep 8 hours a night, limit exposure to electronic devices, and control stress. Because stress causes the body to produce a large amount of the hormone cortisol, which negatively affects the transmission of information from the vestibular system to the brain, making the disease worse.

After one month of treatment, Nhung's symptoms improved, no more dizziness, vertigo or loss of balance, and continued to return for follow-up visits.

When children show signs of dizziness, lightheadedness, loss of balance or vertigo, Dr. Phat recommends that parents take their children to see a doctor early for an accurate diagnosis and timely intervention to avoid the disease becoming more serious. Adults should guide their children on how to rest properly, control stress and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

TH (according to VnExpress)

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/roi-loan-tien-dinh-o-tuoi-15-411353.html