By Rachel Bilgrei, PsyD, Vestibular Disorders Association
Symptoms of vestibular disorders — which affect about half of the U.S. population — include unsteadiness, dizziness, vertigo, nausea, headaches, hearing and vision problems, and difficulty with concentration and memory. Last month’s article discussed some of the ways that vestibular disorders affect a person’s ability to think; specifically to pay attention and concentrate, to remember, to reason and to problem solve. Let’s now address some of the ways to cope with, overcome, and treat these difficulties.
Thankfully, there are ways to combat and overcome these difficulties and improve functioning. Following is the problem area with specific coping skills you can utilize to minimize and/or compensate for these difficulties. Rest proper nutrition and appropriate exercise are also key components to managing any area of cognitive difficulty.
- Disorientation and confusion: Just breathe. Repeat the mantra: “This will pass. I’m OK.”
- Cognitive fatigue self-monitor: Conduct self-checks of your mental energy. Pace yourself. Take breaks.
- Attention/concentration: Enlist all sense modes to take in information. Listen to what is being said, write it down, read it, and say it out loud.
- Visual skills: Visit large stores at off-peak hours. Read from a printout rather than from a computer screen. Listen to information rather than reading it (when possible).
- Memory: Make lists and check them often.
- Executive functioning: Create a structure and routine to your day and follow it consistently every day. Use an organizer/daily planner. Prioritize.
Participating in treatment offers individualized attention to your specific problem areas while also providing normalization, validation, and support. Sometimes professional help begins with a neuropsychological evaluation. This evaluation can provide detailed information about your cognitive functions. It identifies your strengths and weaknesses, areas in which you are functioning normally and areas in which you are having problems. With the results of this evaluation, treatment recommendations are made, usually for a course of cognitive rehabilitation.
Cognitive rehabilitation can be done by an occupational therapist, a speech therapist, or a psychologist. A first step is increasing awareness and self-monitoring of difficulties. Once problems are clearly identified and understood, there are two routes available: 1) cognitive retraining (a physical therapy for the brain) to remediate problem areas; and 2) learning compensatory strategies. In cognitive retraining, skills — such as attention and concentration — are practiced and strengthened through a variety of exercises. Learning compensatory strategies involves utilizing strengths to overcome weaknesses, and developing a “bag of tricks” that you can employ to get around problem areas.
Article re-printed with permission from the Vestibular Disorders Association. To read more about vestibular disorders, visit the Vestibular Disorders Association website at www.vestibular.org. If you missed last month’s article, you may read it online at www.HealthyCellsBN.com.
For more information locally on any type of vestibular disorder, including problems with balance or dizziness, you may contact Poonam McAllister at Central Illinois Institute of Balance at 309-663-4900 or www.dizzyil.com. Poonam is specially trained in the evaluation and treatment of balance disorders using a comprehensive approach that looks at the complexities of balance problems in the context of the total patient. Her office is located at 211 Landmark Drive, Suite E-3 in Normal.
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