Carly Schrage, M.D., of ENT Specialists of Orange County is pleased to announce that Gregory Whitman, M.D. has joined the practice part-time as an Otoneurologist specializing in dizziness, including benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).  Dr. Whitman is one of the few fellowship trained Otoneurologists specializing in dizziness in the country.  He will be seeing patients at the Newport Beach and Irvine offices.

“We are very excited to have Dr. Whitman joining our practice,” said Dr. Schrage.  “He brings top-notch clinical education and knowledge, as well as extensive experience working with patients with dizziness, vertigo, vestibular disorders, and balance.  With the addition of Dr. Whitman, we are one of the only practices in the country where highly trained doctors in Audiology, Otoneurology and Neurotology all work together to provide the most comprehensive level of care for patients with dizziness and vestibular disorders,” added Dr. Schrage.

About Dr. Whitman

Dr. Whitman received his B.A. in Biology from Cornell and an M.D. from the University of Connecticut and then completed an internship at Boston University, followed by a Neurology residency at Boston City Hospital and Tufts New England Medical Center.  After his residency, he completed a 2-year UCLA postdoctoral fellowship in Otoneurology, a subspecialty of Neurology focusing on dizziness, vertigo, vestibular disorders, balance and gait. He is one of the few fellowship trained Otoneurologists in the country and he is also board certified in Neurology.

Dr. Whitman worked at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary for 8 years, where he served on the faculty of the Harvard Medical School. While in Boston, he also worked at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a Harvard affiliated medical center, where he saw dizzy patients and interpreted autonomic function tests.  Dr. Whitman had the opportunity to meet and work with Dr. Shohet when they were both on the medical faculty at UC Irvine. While at UCI, he practiced Otoneurology and served as Vice Chair for Education in the UCI Department of Neurology.

What is Otoneurology?

Otoneurologists focus on the inner ear, the vestibulocochelar nerve from the ear, and this nerves destinations in the brain. In practice, though, this seemingly narrow focus winds up covering a lot of ground. This is due to the astonishing interconnectedness and interrelatedness of brain areas.  As a result, it is not uncommon for a Neurology patient to also suffer from some sense of dizzy. And there is also the relatedness of all the other organ systems to the brain.

For example, the nervous system controls blood flow to the brain. Many people are dizzy because blood flow to the whole brain is low. This in turn can be because the nerves that control the cardiovascular system are not doing their job. Thus, the range of treatment options may be very broad, from treating an underlying nerve disorder, to augmenting how much fluid people drink and retain, to helping the reflexes that facilitate blood return to the heart, so the heart is full of blood and can then deliver to the brain. This type of of approach is called treating dysautonomia.

Dr. Whitman was for a time the designated neurologist for diagnosis of dysautonomia at Brigham and Women’s, one of the Harvard affiliated hospitals in Boston. He has extensive experience treating postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a common type of dizziness in younger people. Dr. Whitman was also a designated expert on tinnitus in younger people, at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary.

“Although the vast majority of people with tinnitus have some form of hearing loss,” he says, “many with tinnitus, especially younger people with tinnitus, seem to have associated neurological issues that need treatment, like migraine or a vitamin deficiency.” He adds, “While clinical trials in this area are needed, it’s conceivable that treating these associated neurological disorders may help a patient’s tinnitus, and in any event, such treatment contributes to the patient’s overall well being.”

If you or someone you know would like to schedule an appointment with Dr. Gregory Whitman, please contact us today!