Audio Vestibular Assessment in Patients with Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a common rheumatic illness distinguished by chronic pain, fatigue, cognitive problems, and functional disability. However, the differences between men and women have not yet been comprehensively studied, especially after the development of the last 2016 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria. The disease is more common and more severe in female patients according to a study on gender differences among Egyptian patients (A. Moshrif et al., 2023) (FM) is a non-inflammatory chronic disease, characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain (Tuncer et al., 2021). The etiology is still unknown and (FM) is often misdiagnosed (Tuncer et al., 2021).The estimated prevalence in the general population is between 2 and 11% (Hulens et al., 2023). Although the underling Pathological mechanisms controlling the (FM) have not been determined, neuroendocrine, genetic or molecular factors can be involved (Zeigelboim & Moreira, 2011).(FM) affects females between the ages of 25 to 65 years old, although it can be seen in all ages and in both sexes (Fitzcharles & Yunus, 2012), It's more common in females than in males (Müller et al., 2007).

The main symptoms of (FM) include, muscle pain, muscle spasms, insomnia, fatigue, tension, abdominal pain, facial tenderness, sensitivity to noise and bright lights, and central nervous system abnormalities. Various neurological symptoms such as tinnitus, ear fullness, vertigo, and dizziness may also be associated, regardless of the disease severity (Koca et al., 2018) Many patients with FM were reported to have dizziness which may attributed to hypotension and autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction, in this study we want to explore if dizziness and imbalance occur due to these factors only or due to a direct effect of (FM) on the vestibular system (Kanjwal et al., 2010) (Mohamed et al., 2021).