Abstract
BackgroundDizziness in older people is associated with disability and reduced quality of life. Few studies have investigated how daily life is affected from the older person’s perspective. Identifying barriers and resources in daily life could guide health care in how to direct efficient interventions. The aim of this study was to explore older persons’ experiences of living with chronic dizziness.MethodsIn this qualitative study seven women aged 74–84 years and six men aged 73–87 years with chronic dizziness (≥3 months) recruited from a primary health care centre in 2012 participated in semi-structured interviews. The interviews were analysed by content analysis.ResultsInterpretation of the interviews resulted in the overall theme “Fighting for control in an unpredictable life” with two themes. The first theme “Striving towards normality” revealed a struggle in daily life in searching for a cure or improvement and finding a way to maintain ordinary life. This process could result in feelings of resignation or adaption to daily life, and factors that supported living with chronic dizziness were described. The second theme “Having a precarious existence” revealed that daily life included being exposed to threats such as a fear of recurrent attacks or of falling, which resulted in an insecure and inflexible way of life. A feeling that symptoms were not taken seriously was described.ConclusionsThe present study showed that older persons with chronic dizziness have needs that are not met by health care. Despite the fact that frequent contact with health care was described, the respondents described barriers in daily life that led to a restricted, inflexible and insecure daily life. Health care should therefore be individually tailored with focus on aspects of daily life, especially safety aspects. Support should also be continued until the older persons with chronic dizziness have developed coping strategies to gain control of their daily life.
Highlights
Dizziness in older people is associated with disability and reduced quality of life
Multisensory dizziness emerges due to the deterioration of multiple sensory receptor systems that occurs at old age and is established when all other vestibular disorders are excluded [4,10]
Living with chronic dizziness during old age was interpreted as fighting for control in an unpredictable life, which formed the overall theme
Summary
Dizziness in older people is associated with disability and reduced quality of life. Multisensory dizziness emerges due to the deterioration of multiple sensory receptor systems that occurs at old age and is established when all other vestibular disorders are excluded [4,10] It involves a decline in postural control, which involves interactions of several systems, such as the musculoskeletal and sensory systems, with the purpose of stabilizing and orientating the body’s position in space. Dizziness in older persons is a predictor of disability [8,14] and falls [8,15,16] It is associated with functional aspects such as balance impairments [1], gait disturbances and problems getting outdoors [2] as well as need of help in personal and instrumental activities of daily living (PADL and IADL) [7]. This shows that daily life is affected in many ways, physical as well as psychological, which may lead to limited possibilities to take part in different physical and social activities
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