Books about Balance

Understanding our very delicate sense of balance...

Whether or not you suffer from dizziness or vertigo, imbalance is an issue for most people with vestibular problems. The vestibular system is responsible for keeping us upright, oriented to our surroundings and aware of where we are spatially. When this system is dysfunctional, life can be everything from mildly uncomfortable to miserable indeed. If you suffer from imbalance, it may be helpful for your family to read these books, so they can better understand what you are going through.

Balance: A Dizzying Journey Through the Science of Our Most Delicate Sense by Carol Svec (2017)

Follow award-winning science and health writer Carol Svec through various facilities as she talks with leading scientists doing state-of-the-art balance research. Svec translates their most fascinating findings for the layperson in a way that is highly entertaining and accessible. Along the way she cites case studies of people whose lives are affected by balance dysfunction, explains how research is being applied to help them, and provides a glimpse at what potentially life-changing advances may be on the horizon.

Balance: In Search of the Lost Sense by Scott McCredie (2007)

A scientific, historical and practical exploration of how balance works. From simple motion sickness to astronauts’ “space stupids” and from fetal somersaults to the Flying Wallendas, McCredie explores the physiology of equilibrium.

Finding Balance: Healing from a Decade of Vestibular Disorders by Sue Hickey (2011)

The author addresses her journey through over a decade of illness, from searching for a diagnosis, through years of treatment, and finally to rebuilding a life within the confines of what her dizziness will allow. Medical information in the book reviewed for accuracy by vestibular specialists.

Terra Infirma: A Life Unbalanced by Anna Jean Mallinson (2007)

A moving personal account of the author’s toxic reaction to the antibiotic Gentamicin and how she learned to function without a working vestibular system.

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