Dizzy Spell: Living & Coping with an Inner Ear Disorder [Paperback]

Gillian Barnett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 14, 2004

According to the National Institute of Health Statistics, dizziness will occur in 70% of the nations population at sometime in their lives. People who experience dizziness and imbalance aren't always truly understood.

In Dizzy Spell: Living & Coping with an Inner Ear Disorder, Gillian Barnett shares a personal account of her experiences with a disabling, invisible inner ear disorder called labyrinthitis, which left her imbalanced and dizzy for over two years.

Her story, research and experience as a "dizzy patient" help other patients' and people who suffer from balance and inner ear disorders to cope. It gives loved ones and health professionals a better understanding through a "patient's" perspective.

Gillian gives advice on how she "survived" and made it through rough dizzy patches.

This book includes advice that can help patients to return to normal everyday lives.

Topics include:

Balance as a "sixth" sense

Creating a "survival" kit

Different balance tests available

From a story about Vincent Van Gogh, the famous painter, who cut off his ear to the author's own personal "dizzy" journal, Dizzy Spell: Living & Coping with an Inner Ear Disorder uplifts and helps other "dizzy" patients get their lives back to normal.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Gillian has dealt with an inner ear and balance disorder for two years. Through her own experiences and research, she hopes to help comfort others who are experiencing dizziness. Gillian lives with her husband and two children in Hampton, Virginia where she is working on her second book, a novel.

Product Details

• Paperback: 54 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (December 14, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 059534044X
• ISBN-13: 978-0595340446
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,089,712 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #88 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Health, Mind & Body > Disorders & Diseases > General

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars I'm Returning This "Book", December 7, 2007

By 

Mike (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dizzy Spell: Living & Coping with an Inner Ear Disorder (Paperback)

I've suffered from an inner ear disorder for several years. Apparently the author doesn't truly understand anything about actual inner ear disorders or she wouldn't tell me to take a walk as her method of dealing with dizziness and vertigo.

Is this woman insane?

I have quite literally crawled out of meetings because I couldn't tell which way was up.

If you suffer from a REAL inner ear disorder and don't want to blow money on a glossy-covered brochure, read "Dizzy: What You Need To Know About Managing And Treating Balance Disorders." It's a great book full of REAL information.

This book is a joke.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Oh Please, Don't Waste Your Money!, December 7, 2007

By 

S. Atman (Southern California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dizzy Spell: Living & Coping with an Inner Ear Disorder (Paperback)

First, this is a pamphlet, not a book.

Second, it was written by someone who obviously had a very minor problem with balance, because the recommended treatment is to get up and move. Vacuum. Take a walk around the block!

Third, I have had Meniere's Disease for almost forty years. It has gotten worse with age. I sleep sitting up in a chair. I can only drive on "good" days, and even then it's limited. When I get serious vertigo I cannot even shift my eyes without becoming completely disoriented, and all of the ENTs I've seen -- including those at the House Clinic (where they test the astronauts) -- told me I have a very common balance problem. (My adult daughter has the same symptoms and the same diagnosis.)

So where does this ignoramus get off writing a pamphlet about balance problems and selling it as a book? I was looking for updated material about balance disorders and got THIS abomination. My husband is packing it up so it can be shipped back.

There really are good books out there about balance problems. This is NOT one of them. Avoid it!

What a waste of money!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Could have been better, May 6, 2007

By 

J. Segall "goldencubs" (Dana Point, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dizzy Spell: Living & Coping with an Inner Ear Disorder (Paperback)

I am suffering from what the author wrote about - coping after a diagnosis of labrynthitis (a virus that attacks the inner ear and can leave you with damage to the nerves and hair cells). I was looking forward to reading this because you can feel very alone in having an illness that many don't understand. However, she did not do it justice. It could have been filled with much more detail. This just skims the surface and, in reality, this illness changes your life and can be devastating to cope with.