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Lynn Lawrenson (right) finally got answers to her questions from Dr. Darren Tse, who founded the Dizziness Clinic at The Ottawa Hospital.

Lynn Lawrenson is used to being on the go, chasing after kids at the home daycare she runs. But that all changed in 2014 when she began having severe dizziness that made it impossible to work.

Never knowing when dizziness would strike, she became house-bound. Over 15 months, the longest she went without an attack was five days.

“I was bed-ridden,” she said. “I had no life at all.”

Lawrenson saw three specialists before she was referred to The Ottawa Hospital’s new Dizziness Clinic, a multi-disciplinary team of specialists who assess and diagnose patients with severe dizziness.

“Dizziness can be very disabling,” said Dr. Darren Tse, the otolaryngologist who founded the clinic. “Sometimes patients have to stop work. They can’t drive and they can’t walk. Lots of times patients are difficult to diagnose.”

Indeed the clinic was set up specifically for patients who are difficult to diagnosis. The clinic provides one-hour diagnosis sessions where patients are seen by two specialists and a physiotherapist. The team also helps patients access appropriate services, such as rehabilitation.

Lawrenson got a diagnosis and treatment plan during her first clinic visit. She was diagnosed with Meniere’s disease caused by endolymphatic hydrops, a disorder of the inner ear that can affect hearing and balance. She received steroid injections in her inner ear and hasn’t had a dizziness attack since her treatments.

Lawrenson is slowly regaining the confidence to leave the house on her own. She no longer worries she will suffer debilitating dizziness while out shopping or caring for the children at her home daycare.

“Dr. Tse was the first to give me answers,” said Lawrenson. “I feel like I have my life back.”

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