Dizzy
What You Need to Know About Managing and Treating Balance Disorders
By Jack J. Wazen, with Deborah Mitchell
Fireside Books, (2004)
Standard Print - ISBN: 0-7432-3622-X
Reviewed by Rochelle Caviness
Have you ever felt dizzy? You're not alone. Most people have dizzy spells at some point in their life. The causes are varied, such as not having eaten enough, drinking too much alcohol, illness, drug reaction, stress, the list is endless. For most people these bouts of dizziness are temporary and they resolve themselves once the underlaying cause is corrected. However for those with chronic dizzy spells, managing and treating their problem can be more difficult, and much more frustrating.
In Dizzy, written by Dr. Jack J. Wazen, the Director of the Balance Management Center at Lenox Hill Hospital, and Deborah Mitchell, this book explains the causes of dizziness and lightheadiness and how to treat and manage balance disorders. Written for a lay audience, this book is concise and technical terms are kept to a bare minimum.
The text is intuitively organized, starting with a discussion of what balance disorders are, their causes, and common associated symptoms, including vertigo, lightheadedness, nausea, tinnitus, dizziness, disequilibrium. The authors then go on to explain how to track your symptoms, such as by keeping a Dizzy Journal and how, and when, to seek medical treatment. A section of this book is devoted to Ocular Dizziness and Oscillopsia, both of which are associated with some vision disorders and eye problems.
The second part of this book concentrates on the causes of specific balance disorders and disorders for which dizziness can be a symptom. Details are offered on how they are diagnosed and available treatment options. Throughout, case studies are included to show you how other people have dealt with similar problems. The disorders are organized into thematic sections:
Visual and Sensory Disorders
Ambient Visual Disorder, Aneisokonia, Binocular Vision Dysfunction, Cataracts, Double Vision, Glaucoma, Macular Degeneration, Neuropathy, Age Related Problems, Osteoarthritis
Durgs and Environmental Causes
Ototoxicity, Chemical Sensitivity, Sick-Building Syndrome, Environmental Toxin, Alcohol, Caffeine, and Nicotine. Plus a list of drugs that are known to cause dizziness.
In Your Head: Psychological Dizziness
Anxiety and Panic Disorders, Depression, Phobias, Somatization
This section also includes a chapter on the various specialized tests that are sometimes used to diagnose balance disorders.
The final section in this book is devoted to the wide range of treatment methodologies that are used to treat balance disorders, including diet therapies, surgical procedures, relaxation techniques, and vestibular rehabilitation. A resource list and glossary complete the reader's introduction into the dizzying world of balance disorders.
Dizzy is a comprehensive guide to the world of balance disorders, how they are diagnosed, and how they can be treated. If you have, or think that you might have, a balance disorder, this book will help to educate you about the problem and enable you to converse authoritatively with your doctor on the subject. The knowledge that you gain from this book will empower you to take charge of your own care and enable you to make an informed decision about any treatment that you receive. This book is also ideal reading for anyone with a family member with a balance disorder or chronic dizziness, as it will not only help you understand what they are enduring, but also help you to help them deal with living with the disorder.
Reprinted, with Permission, from Large Print Reviews
www.largeprintreviews.com
