Frequently Asked Questions
- Why am I dizzy?
- How do I find medical help?
- What is vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT)?
- What home-based exercises should I do?
- What medications should I take? What about nutritional supplements or remedies?
- I need support and help with coping. What are my options?
- I want to travel. What precautions should I take?
- What are the benefits and costs of membership and how do I sign up?
- What is the difference between dues and donations?
- How do I add my practice to your provider directory of vestibular disorder specialists?
- How many practice locations can I include in my provider directory listing and how do I add more than one?
- Where can I find professional development opportunities?
- I teach courses or am organizing a conference. How do I add my event to your calendar?
- How can I order publications?
- Will you mail materials to a friend/family member who does not have Internet access?
- May I make duplicate copies of your publications to distribute or reproduce your content on my Web site?
- What type of payment do you accept? Can I order in non-US currencies?
- There was a problem with my credit card transaction; what should I do?
- Can I place an order and have you send me an invoice for payment?
- What is VEDA's policy on returns?
- Do you refund shipping charges?
- Will I receive a discount if I order several copies of the same publication?
VESTIBULAR DISORDER BASICS
Why am I dizzy?Dizziness and imbalance can have both vestibular and non-vestibular causes. The inner ear vestibular organs signal to your brain whether you are moving and how your head is oriented relative to gravity. Your brain then integrates these signals with those received from your eyes, muscles, and joints. When any part of the vestibular system malfunctions, this process of integration breaks down, and dizziness and other symptoms may result. (See our chart for a detailed illustration of how the balance system works.) Medical evaluation from a qualified vestibular specialist is essential for determining whether your dizziness is caused by a vestibular problem, some other cause, or a combination of factors.
How do I find medical help? What kind of specialist do I need?
Diagnosis and treatment are not always straightforward for vestibular disorders. Vestibular disorders can affect a person in many ways and are often unpredictable, occurring on a constant or intermittent basis. If you’ve reviewed our list of symptoms and suspect you may have a vestibular disorder, or have already been diagnosed but want a second opinion, you can use VEDA’s provider directory to find a health professional who can provide appropriate diagnostic testing. See our list of specialties for more information.
What is vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT)?
Vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT) is a type of physical therapy that helps train the central nervous system to compensate for vestibular dysfunction. Our publication, Vestibular Rehabilitation—An Effective, Evidence-based Treatment, discusses VRT in more detail. Studies examining the effect of VRT strongly demonstrate its effectiveness in decreasing symptoms of dizziness and imbalance.
What home-based exercises should I do?
Please see our page on home-based exercises. VEDA does not recommend doing vestibular exercises at home without a medical diagnosis and a personal treatment plan from a qualified physical or occupational therapist. All vestibular disorders are not the same, and a treatment that will help one person can harm another.
What medications should I take? What about nutritional supplements or remedies?
Medication is a short-term strategy because it dampens symptoms, making it more difficult for the brain to learn to compensate for vestibular dysfunction. However, for people in an acute stage of dizziness, medication is sometimes used. The kind of medication you are prescribed depends on your medical history and diagnosis; find your disorder on our list to see your options.
No nutritional supplement or other remedy has been clinically shown to improve symptoms of vestibular dysfunction. Before adding such substances to your diet, it is vital to check with your doctor about potentially harmful effects, especially if you are taking prescription drugs. It's also important to use extra caution because supplements are not subject to the same stringent standards as drugs. The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is a helpful resource for consumer tips for evaluating supplements and remedies.
I need support and help with coping. What are my options?
Our section on support and coping includes a list of face-to-face support groups for vestibular disorders. Unfortunately, there are many locations where no such support groups exist. We encourage everyone to join us at our Facebook page, where people with vestibular disorders from all over the world gather to share information and support. We also maintain a list of links to other online communities. Some people use these online connections to form face-to-face friendships with people who are more local to them.
I want to travel. What precautions should I take?
Problematic travel conditions include those that involve exposure to rapid altitude or pressure changes, certain motion patterns, or disturbing lighting. Precautions depend on your specific vestibular disorder, transportation method, and conditions and planned activities at your destination. More information about these factors, as well as strategies and practical tips for managing them, are available in our free short publication Travel and Vestibular Disorders. This article especially emphasizes the challenges of air travel and includes a table with flying recommendations for most common vestibular disorders.
VEDA BASIC MEMBERSHIP
What are the benefits and costs of membership and how do I sign up?
Member benefits and subscription rates depend on the type of membership (Basic or Professional), whether an individual lives within or outside of the United States, and whether a membership is paid for in one- or three-year increments. Please see VEDA's online store for subscription rate options.
What is the difference between dues and donations?
To comply with the laws governing nonprofit organizations, VEDA must distinguish between money it receives for dues, money it receives for goods, and money it receives as donations. If someone sends us a check not accompanied by a note explaining what the money is for, we assume it is a donation. Internal Revenue Service guidelines allow people who claim itemized deductions on their federal income tax returns to disregard items of insubstantial value received from nonprofit organizations in return for payment. You or your tax advisor will have to decide whether items and services received with your member subscription dues (such as VEDA's quarterly newsletter, On the Level) allow you to combine the dues and donations you pay to VEDA in a single tax year and call them donations.
VEDA PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP
How do I add my clinic to your provider directory of vestibular disorder specialists?
To be listed in the provider directory, you must be a VEDA professional member with current dues. Professional members may submit information online or print out and return the provider directory form. If you are not yet a professional member you can purchase membership in our online store or mail an order form with your check or credit card information.
How many practice locations can I include in my provider directory listing and how can I add more?
You may list up to three practice locations where you physically see patients. You can do so online by simply adding another clinic location and under "Reason for submission" at the bottom selecting "This is a new clinic to be added to my other clinic(s) listed." Or, print out and return the provider directory form.
Where can I find professional development opportunities?
We maintain a frequently updated calendar that lists conference and training events specifically focused on helping professionals develop expertise in diagnosing and treating vestibular disorders.
I teach courses or am organizing a conference. How do I add my event to your calendar?
For information about how to submit an event, see the instructions at the top of our calendar. We confine our listings to conferences of interest to vestibular health care professionals and training opportunities provided by VEDA professional members. If you are not yet a professional member you can purchase membership in our online store or mail an order form with your check or credit card information.
How can I order publications?
Publications may be ordered through our online store or by mailing an order form with payment to VEDA.
Will you mail materials to a friend/family member who does not have Internet access?
Yes. To request that we mail a printed membership brochure and a list of publication titles to a specific address, contact us by e-mail, mail, toll-free voice mail, or fax. Please be sure to provide the recipient’s complete name, address, zip code, and country (if outside the US), as well as a phone number and e-mail to help us reach you if we have mailing difficulties.
May I make copies of your short publications to distribute or reproduce your content on my Web site?
Our growing list of free short publications may be freely distributed in print. Anyone is welcome to directly link to our Web pages or free short publications, but we do not give permission to reproduce them online with the exception of short quotes (see our permissions guide). Short publications ordered through our online store should not be duplicated for distribution; however, we offer deep bulk-quantity discounts. Thank you for respecting our copyright.
What type of payment do you accept? Can I order in non-US currencies?
VEDA accepts credit cards and checks. We accept Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. These can be used in our online store or by mailing or faxing an order form. To pay by check, please mail an order form to us. VEDA accepts payment by check in US dollars (USD) and through verified credit card payments with international credit cards.
There was a problem with my credit card transaction; what should I do?
For billing questions, please contact VEDA by e-mail or by phone at (800) 837-8428.
What is VEDA's policy on returns?
All sales of membership subscriptions and publications are final. If you receive the wrong item or it is damaged upon receipt, you must contact VEDA within 3 days of receipt by e-mail or by using our toll-free voice mail at (800) 837-8428. No return will be authorized after 3 days. Credit will be applied only after the product has been received, inspected, and compared with the original order. VEDA is not responsible for lost mail or refunding a purchase returned without identification.
Do you refund shipping charges?
We refund shipping charges if (1) we ship an incorrect product, or (2) if we ship a broken or defective product. If we re-ship a product in these cases, we do not add another shipping charge.
Do you offer bulk discounts on publications?
Bulk discount pricing is available for bundles of 25 or more of a single title for short publications. Please see the bulk-discount price schedule in our online store or on our order form.
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