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Balance Awareness Week

BAW 2019 logo with Fiona Flamingo

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Make "Vestibular" Visible

Imagine Living Life Without Balance.

Close your eyes and stand on one foot. It’s hard right? Now imagine having that same disoriented feeling on two feet, and with your eyes open. Balance is something most of us take for granted. It’s automatically hardwired into our bodies at birth, evolving and adapting as we grow and age. While basic balance is innate, some of us can perfect or master our balance through exercise and practice. We don’t often think about our balance—until of course, we lose it.

While most people may not be familiar with the word “vestibular”—relating to your inner ear, brain, and sense of balance—many of us have experienced the awkward or sometimes scary feeling when we momentarily lose our balance. Maybe it’s taking a wrong step or getting motion sickness aboard a jostling boat. Or that nauseating head-spinning sensation after one too many alcoholic beverages. Eventually, our balance comes back and life moves on.

This is not the case for the over 69 million Americans who suffer from the mostly invisible and frequently debilitating symptoms of chronic imbalance associated with a vestibular disorder. Whether it comes on gradually over time or all of the sudden, bouts of dizziness, vertigo, and nausea can make many of life’s more routine tasks virtually intolerable. Try to get a good night’s sleep with a high-pitched ringing in your ear. Or try to focus on something as everything around you appears to be spinning. For those living with a vestibular condition, everyday life becomes a progressively challenging obstacle course to navigate.

That is why VeDA pioneered Balance Awareness Week (BAW) in 1997: to be an opportunity each year to come together and shine a light on these otherwise invisible balance disorders. If we’re all more aware, then we can better understand and be empathetic to those who need our support the most—our family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors. Effective treatments are available for many vestibular disorders. Whether treatable or chronic, faster and more accurate diagnosis, along with effective coping strategies can greatly improve quality of life. Join us this September for Balance Awareness Week, and together we can pave the way toward restoring a life rebalanced. 

By participating in Balance Awareness Week, you can increase awareness about vestibular disorders and donate to support patients in their journey back to balance.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

  • Put Balance Awareness Week on your calendar for September 15-21, 2019
  • Sport a t-shirt, hoodie or cool stuff from the BAW Store
  • Register your Personal Campaign Page and set a personal fundraising goal to support VeDA and vestibular research
  • Share your #LifeRebalanced story to help inform and inspire people
  • Take a selfie with Fiona Flamingo and share on social media, remember to use #BalanceAwarenessWeek
  • Invite friends & family to LIKE VeDA on Facebook to learn more about vestibular disorders
  • Ask your US Congress Representative to sign the BAW Resolution

where does balance awareness week take place?

Balance Awareness Week is a series of virtual events, both online and in communities around the world. 

why consider supporting balance awareness week?

For most of us, until you’re afflicted with a balance-related condition, the word vestibular is completely unknown. We want to change that. We believe if more people are aware of and understand the complexities of imbalance, we will not only reduce accurate diagnosis times, but also reinforce a culture of greater understanding, empathy, and support.

By helping to raise funds, you’ll further VeDA’s mission, advance research, and grow the community of support!

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THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

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