New Delhi, Dec 24:- India is currently facing a silent epidemic of Balance Disorders, affecting 25-30% of the population, including 250 million sufferers and 30.8% of high-schoolers, yet only 70-80 specialized clinics exist. Vertigo impacts 40% of adults and 54% of dizziness cases, driving 5-10% of primary visits and 30% of neurology/ENT consultations. Prevalence scales with age: 30% 35% and 50% Despite a 22.9% annual dizziness rate, the lack of specialized vestibular clinics forces irrelevant tests and symptom-suppressing drugs, leaving patients and doctors in mutual bewilderment.
Addressing this critical gap, Dr Anirban Biswas, one of India’s leading neurotology and balance disorder experts, highlighted the systemic failure in vertigo care while delivering the keynote address at the HEAL OneHealth Connect Series organised by Pacific OneHealth at the India Habitat Centre. He asserted, “Most balance disorder patients consult four to seven specialists and undergo expensive scans that are often irrelevant to their condition. What they receive in the end is symptom-suppressing medication, not a diagnosis or cure. This is not patient care as it should be.”
Balance disorders are complex, involving not just the inner ear but also neurological, cardiovascular, psychological and musculoskeletal systems. However, India’s healthcare system lacks structured training in neurotology, and most hospitals do not offer multidisciplinary balance clinics. As a result, patients undergo repeated MRIs, CT scans and blood tests, while critical assessments of proprioception, cognition and functional balance are often ignored.
Dr Biswas further noted;
“Only about 27% of patients presenting with vertigo actually have inner-ear pathology, yet most investigations and treatments continue to focus solely on the vestibular labyrinth. This narrow approach explains why patients remain symptomatic for years and why there is a widespread belief that vertigo cannot be cured.”
Beyond physical symptoms, untreated balance disorders are strongly linked to anxiety, depression, cognitive impairment and fear of falling, compounding their impact on quality of life. With India’s ageing population and a large working-age group affected, specialists warn that balance disorders represent a silent but significant public health challenge.
Experts are now calling for dedicated balance and vestibular clinics, better training, and policy recognition of balance disorders as a multidisciplinary condition steps they say are essential to prevent long-term disability and improve patient outcomes.
The dialogue made it clear that neglecting specialized vestibular infrastructure will leave India’s aging population vulnerable to rising fall-related injuries and dementia. Organized by Pacific OneHealth in partnership with the HEAL Foundation, the keynote address under the HEAL OneHealth Connect Series serves as a definitive call to action. It challenges the medical community to embrace the vision of ‘Healthcare As It Should Be’ moving away from generic treatments toward specialized, life-saving balance disorders expertise.