Vestibular Issues and the Implants Treating Them
Smithsonian Magazine has a fascinating article about vestibular implants in the Jul/Aug 2025 issue. I’ve lately been intrigued by the human body’s vestibular system because I had my daughter later in life. What has surprised me about getting older has been that I’ve discovered I’ve lost my vestibular resilience. Pumpkin is always so excited to have me join her on the playground or on the rides at theme parks, and I don’t want her to feel like she has the “old” mom. But, let’s be honest, I also don’t want her to be embarrassed by having the mom who is puking under the slide. I used to be the kid who could ride on the merry-go-round for hours, and now a single back-and-forth on a swing has me hugging the Earth to restore my balance. However, I’ve also learned that the more I challenge myself with dizzying activities, the better my equilibrium behaves. It’s almost like a muscle that gets stronger the more you use it.
All of this recent experimentation, though, tells me that I’m very lucky to have a healthy (if weak) vestibular system. The Smithsonian article, “Life Out of Balance,” goes into how difficult life can be for those who lose vestibular function. The vestibular system is rather ingenious and basically involves nerves attached to hair that detect movement of a built-in object within or against a fluid/gel. I’m oversimplifying it, but the point is that there are a few parts within the system that can be damaged and cause one to lose vestibular function. In one example, the author Sushma Subramanian tells of a patient whose vestibular hair was damaged by an antibiotic (a rare but horrifying side effect).
Those with severe symptoms have difficulty walking, let alone driving, and the simplest movements that we take for granted (such as eating popcorn during a movie) can be beyond the capabilities of one suffering vestibular dysfunction. The article points out several ways in which patients with vestibular disorder suffer:
“To an onlooker, someone with a vestibular disorder can appear clumsy or awkward or drunk, which adds a level of embarrassment [esteem] to what’s already a serious physical impairment [physiological].”
“The Geneva research group did one small study that found patients took an average of three years to receive a diagnosis after their first symptoms.” I’ve talked about how stressful (safety) it can be to not have a diagnosis for a mystery illness.
“Other people have a hard time understanding her condition. ‘I tell them that I feel dizzy and off-balance, that if I were to fall, I couldn’t catch myself, that I’m not able to help myself once it starts,’ she told me. ‘And, you know, they really don’t get it. People don’t believe you, and that can be tough.’” Feeling misunderstood can heighten feelings of isolation and loneliness (social).
Even beyond these examples, it’s easy to see how growth activities would be impaired when it’s difficult to move without falling, and until recently there was no cure for such conditions, which might lead to a feeling of hopelessness (autonomy). However, as the article outlines, vestibular implants (still in clinical trials) that relay motion information to the brain appear to be a promising solution.
Have you ever experienced extreme vertigo? Were you able to learn the cause and did it have a solution? I’m curious and would love to hear more.
Notes:
A YouTube video about the vestibular system, if you’re interested in learning more.
Age-related vestibular loss is a real thing and a major concern, as falling is the #1 cause of death from injury in the elderly.
If loss of balance is a concern for you, you can find a number of workouts on YouTube that target the vestibular system, such as this one.