Patient experiences

Feelings of vertigo are dependent on the individual and the type of condition. Here are some of the main sensations experienced by patients with vertigo and balance disorders:

• "Rotatory vertigo: everything around me spins, I have nausea and vomiting".

• "I feel permanently unsteady".

• "Feelings of drunkenness « without the euphoria » even though I never drink alcohol".

• "When I lean forward, I feel like everything is spinning and I have to stand up straight."

• "When I tip my head back I feel like I'm going to faint."

• "I am permanently off balance when I walk".

• "Suddenly, I felt pressure and buzzing in my ear and I became dizzy".

• "When I’m walking, I have the impression that the ground is swallowing me up".

• "When I turn my head too fast, my vision is blurred".

• "I had sudden abdominal pain and nausea, I got up and vomited, everything around me was spinning. I thought I had gastroenteritis."

• "It's like I'm seasick all the time."

• "I feel like I am being thrown to one side and I lose my balance."

• "I stagger when I walk."

• "These seizures can occur at any time of the day and are usually associated with a feeling of things moving around me and a loss of balance. Most of the time, these attacks confine me to bed for three days: even when bedridden, I am completely unable to focus on an object.”