Ototoxicity And Balance Exercises

Balance Exercises For People With Ototoxicity

By Suzanne Stoke, Physical Therapist @ Exercise For Balance via www.exerciseforbalance.com

     People who are sixty and older as well as folks who suffer with orthopedic or medical conditions including Ototoxicity can benefit from balance exercises. Please see   http://www.exerciseforbalance.com/buy-now  Simply put, Oto stands for ear and toxicity stands for poisoning. Ototoxicity therefore means ear poisoning (oto = ear, toxicity = poisoning). Ototoxicity results from exposure to drugs or chemicals -- such as chemotherapy drugs--that damage the inner ear or the vestibulo-cochlear nerve (the nerve sending balance and hearing information from the inner ear to the brain). Because the inner ear is involved in both hearing and balance, ototoxicity can result in disturbances of either or both of these senses for hearing and balance.  The parts of the brain that receive hearing and balance information from the inner ear can also be affected by poison, but this is not technically considered ototoxicity.  For example, poisoning of the brain is classified as neurotoxicity. The occurrence and degree of inner ear poisoning depends upon the drug involved as well as other factors such as heredity. Ototoxicity can be temporary or permanent. The effect of certain drugs is often temporary, while other drugs typically produce permanent changes to the ear. Some drugs can cause either temporary or permanent problems. It is important to note here that the broad majority of people who experience ototoxicity have a temporary or reversible form that does not result in a major or long-term disruption in their lives. With cochleotoxicity, hearing loss or the start or worsening of tinnitus (ringing in the ears) can occur through damage to the cochlea (the hearing apparatus) or the cochlear branch of the vestibulo-cochlear nerve. Vestibular ototoxicity or vestibulotoxicity are terms used to describe ototoxicity that affects the balance organs or the vestibular branch of the vestibulo-cochlear nerve. It is important to note that no drug is known to cause Ménière’s disease, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or any other vestibular disorder causing fluctuating function. All in all, those who suffer with symptoms of imbalance due to ototoxicity can be helped with balance exercises.

Balance Exercises Help With Unsteadiness

   For those individuals who have symptoms of unsteadiness due to ototoxicity, a regular routine of balance exercises can help to enhance stability and limit any possibility of falling. one of the first steps to overcome the symptoms of ototoxicity involves focusing on the sense of touch between ones feet and the floor. to practice this stability technique, it is best to stand near a stable object like a counter or table , standing with the feet shoulder width a part. In that position, begin by concentrating on the sense of touch between your feet and the floor. that sensory feedback will enhance the brain's balance system to maximize steadiness and limit the sense of imbalance. you can learn these stability techniques and specific balance exercises by following along with the instruction of a knowledgeable physical therapist in the easy to follow Exercise For Balance DVD.

Balance Exercises In The Exercise For Balance DVD

    For anyone who struggles with imbalance or dizziness, please begin the best balance exercises with the Exercise For Balance DVD. The comprehensive  Balance DVD is the perfect educational medium to use at home or in a group setting. The professionally filmed DVD contains all the best balance and strength exercises needed to enhance general fitness and to perform basic activities like getting up from a chair safely, walking, standing, stair climbing or to advance to high level activities like golf, tennis, dancing and hiking. In the Exercise For Balance DVD, you will learn how to improve balance, steadiness techniques and balance routines from a licensed Physical Therapist who has worked with balance and dizziness disorders for over 20 years. Get your copy of the Exercise For Balance DVD by clicking on the BUY NOW button

  For those with hearing and steadiness problems, start balance exercises today with the Exercise For Balance DVD to improve balance and prevent falls.
For more information see http://www.mayoclinic.com/health-information/