“When the word vertigo is said, it means that you are literally spinning like you are on a merry-go-round. In the case of balance disorders, it is a condition where you are walking down the street and suddenly you lose confidence, you feel like you are walking like a drunk person,” Docent Jeřábek explains the main difference at the beginning of the podcast.

According to experts’ estimates, 1.5 million Czechs suffer from dizziness or balance problems every year. The problem does not have to be related to old age, it can appear in children and even in adulthood. For example, dizziness when looking at the merry-go-round and swings or just looking at them.

“The fact that moving objects make you feel dizzy is a normal physiological situation that, however, can make people suffer in some situations, and it is important to do something about it,” the neurologist emphasizes.

He suggests consulting a doctor especially when intense and prolonged problems arise that a person has never experienced before.

“Suddenly, for example, you get the virus and find that you can no longer sit in the passenger seat in a car, which suddenly causes you a big problem. This may be due to the fact that the virus also affects the balance system,” Professor Jeřábek explained in an interview. “However, this is a specific problem, I don’t want to scare people,” he added.

Even though people struggle with motion sickness – motion sickness associated with motion sickness, for example in a car or on a boat – they usually have no problem driving. Their brains can reconcile all the information and difficulties do not arise.

The most common is a positional balance disorder associated with sudden changes in position when lying down in bed.

“A person comes to the hospital with acute dizziness. You wake up in the morning, the whole world is spinning around you, your stomach is heaving, you can’t get out of bed slowly, you need help, and you constantly feel like vomiting or actually vomit. All this indicates an acute disturbance of the balance apparatus,” the neurologist explains.

Doctors at the comprehensive Balance Disorders Center at the University Hospital in Motola deal with the recognition of serious problems and their treatment. In the framework of the first World Balance Day in the Czech Republic, a series of workshops will be held there on September 16, which are open to the public.

Doctors will explain to those interested from 1 to 5 pm at each station how to recognize balance disorders, how to check them and then treat them. The use of modern technologies in treatment and rehabilitation, which is very important for patients, will also be discussed. It is also possible to participate in the competition for the most stable person, who will win attractive prizes. Educational courses and events await doctors in the following days.

The doctors also prepared the event as a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the operation of the vestibular laboratory of the Neurology Clinic of Motol General Hospital.

You can learn more about how dizziness and balance disorders manifest themselves and when to seek specialist help in today’s episode, which you can play in the introduction of the article or in the podcast app.