When Jack Evans randomly woke up with dizziness so severe it felt like he was on a boat, doctors were left baffled.
The 30-year-old had his world turned upside down when he developed serious unsteadiness overnight, impacting everything from work to his social life.
The awful spinning sensation left Jack clinging to walls whenever he walked and he felt constantly drunk for a year.
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The social housing assistant, who lives in Hale, says he visited countless doctors but was repeatedly told he was suffering from anxiety.
It wasn’t until he visited a balance clinic that he finally learned the truth – Jack was experiencing chronic vestibular migraine.
Vestibular migraine is a condition where people experience a combination of vertigo, dizziness or balance problems with other migraine symptoms.
The illness can cause episodes of dizziness described as rocking, spinning, floating, swaying, internal motion and light-headedness and can seriously impact a sufferer’s quality of life.
Jack now believes his condition was triggered by labyrinthitis, an inner ear infection that causes inflammation of the labyrinth, the part of the ear that controls balance and hearing.
“It was the catalyst for it all,” Jack, who also works as a cleaner, told the Manchester Evening News. “I had labyrinthitis, tonsillitis and I was really run-down and stressed during that period.
“Waking up was absolutely terrifying. You feel like you’re on a boat constantly. You tell people and people look at you like you’re crazy.
“Doctors and specialists said I had anxiety. I told them I wasn’t anxious. I have a very good life, I have no money troubles, I’m not worried and I love my family and friends.
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