Hearing & Balance Doctors

How Do Crystals in Your Inner Ears Impact Balance?

How Do Crystals in Your Inner Ears Impact Balance?

by | Feb 25, 2024 | Balance

Having problems with your balance can be alarming. Balance issues increase your risk of injuries and falls and can make leaving your house and going about your normal routine a difficult task. If you or a loved one is experiencing ear-related balance issues, we can help.

Thousands of local people across Utah and Nevada trust our doctors of audiology at Hearing & Balance Doctors with their hearing and balance needs. So, what causes balance issues?

How Your Inner Ear Impacts Balance

You may be surprised to learn that your inner ear plays a large role in helping you to maintain balance. Your inner ear houses the vestibular system, which is a series of loops and canals. The vestibular system works to detect linear motion and sends a nerve signal to your brain when your body is out of balance. Your brain then instructs other parts of your body to help you make the adjustments needed to get you back in balance. But when the vestibular system isn’t working properly, you may experience balance problems, dizziness, and vertigo.

Crystals and the Inner Ear

So, what does this have to do with crystals? Well, there are tiny calcium crystals in the inner ear called otoconia. Sometimes, these small crystals become detached and make their way to a location that they shouldn’t be in, often flowing into the fluid-filled spaces of the inner ear. This creates weight that shouldn’t be there and exaggerates motion. It can cause brief bursts of vertigo and dizziness. We regularly see patients who are experiencing problems with balance and are wondering if their ear crystals may be the cause.

Solutions for Your Balance Issues in Utah and Nevada

Our doctors of audiology specialize in diagnosing and treating inner-ear related balance issues. If you come into our office with balance concerns, we will conduct balance testing.

Balance testing is similar to hearing testing. We will begin by discussing your symptoms and history and then proceed with different tests to uncover the cause of your balance issues.

Once we’ve identified the cause, we will review the best options for restoring balance back into your life.

If you or a loved one is experiencing balance issues, we are here to help. You can schedule an appointment by calling us at (435) 688-8991 for Utah and (702) 896-0031 for Nevada. Or, request a callback and a member of our team will be in touch with you.

Crystals in Your Ears

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Dr. Richard Luekenga

Dr. Luekenga opened Hearing & Balance Doctors of Utah in 2005. Since that time he has been dedicated to creating state-of-the-art facilities filled with the latest technology along with the most qualified and caring hearing healthcare team. He received his Doctor of Audiology from the University of Louisville School of Medicine. His doctorate is supported by his B.A. at Utah State University, clinical fellowship at Bountiful Hearing Center and further clinical experience at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital, IHC Hearing and Balance Center, The Kosair Children’s Hospital, Heuser Hearing Institute (Deaf Oral School), and Avada Hearing and Balance Center, to name a few. With this long list of experience, it is clear that Dr. Luekenga is very passionate about good hearing and is well-versed in the advances of hearing aid technology. He is equally as passionate about helping patients that feel off-balance, dizzy, lightheaded, or unsteady, and understands the need these patients have to get back on their feet! Additionally, he provides counseling and therapy for patients who experience tinnitus (ringing or buzzing in their ears).

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