When you have been attacked with vertigo, you can experience various symptoms that are severe or less.
I will explain everything we know about vertigo. I was inspired to research and educate myself about the condition after a person I know experienced severe vertigo.
In this article we will try to discuss the causes and treatments of vertigo in general and answer some of your frequently asked questions.
For this article I have relied on medical scientific publications, all references at the end of this article.
Any questions? remarks? Let’s meet in the comments section at the end of this article.🙏
Last updated: Sept 2024. Written by Juliet Semakula, a diagnostic radiographer.
Disclaimer: no affiliate links.
▶️What do we understand by the term vertigo?
Vertigo: is a symptom rather than a condition itself.
A common sensation of motion often described as dizziness. Vertigo feels like you or everything around you is spinning enough to affect your balance. It’s more than just feeling dizzy.
This feeling may be barely noticeable, or it may be so severe that you find it difficult to keep your balance and do everyday tasks.
▶️There are two main categories of vertigo.
1️⃣Peripheral vertigo is typically caused by an inner ear issue.
2️⃣Central vertigo is usually due to a problem in the brain.
Both have different clinical features which sometimes distinguish them apart.
Table showing the difference features distinguishing peripheral and central causes of dizziness
Retrieved from :(Kutz ,2010}
▶️How is vertigo diagnosed?
For proper diagnosis and treatment of both central and peripheral vertigo. Your doctor will look into your medical history and carefully examine your symptoms.
Sometimes medical professionals find the workup of dizziness complicated, because multiple organ systems are involved with balance.
In the primary care setting, symptom localization is more important than reaching a specific diagnosis
1️⃣Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and can carry out an examination to help determine if your symptoms are indeed vertigo.
Then he will aim to diagnose a cause which is important because it will decide what kind of treatment you will be given.
2️⃣Your medical history will also help the doctor to offer important clues about what could be causing your vertigo.
Because certain diseases like diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s and sickle cell, etc…may be associated with vertigo.
3️⃣You may also be referred for further tests such as MRI, CT scans to help get a closer look at what is going on inside your head.
Here are other tests and examinations your may have:
🟠Head impulse test
🟠Romberg test
🟠Fukuda-Unterberger test
🟠Dix-Hallpike manoeuvre
🟠Electronystagmography (ENG) or video nystagmography (VNG)
🟠Rotation tests
🟠Vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP)
🟠Post urography
🟠Vision and hearing tests
🟠Cardiovascular examination
🟠Otologic examination
🟠Neurologic examination
▶️Proposition on the triggers of vertigo:
According to some systematic research it is believed that the Inner ear problems, which affect balance, are the most common causes of vertigo.
These include.
⏩Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) occurs when tiny calcium particles are dislodged from their normal location and collect in the inner ear.
Remember the inner ear sends signals to the brain about head and body movements relative to gravity. It helps you keep your balance.so any distractions can cause vertigo.
⏩Labyrinthitis – an inner ear infection caused by a cold or flu virus.
⏩Vestibular neuritis is when the infection causes inflammation in the inner ear around nerves that are important for helping the body sense balance
⏩Meniere’s disease is an inner ear disorder thought to be caused by a build-up of fluid and changing pressure in the ear. It can cause episodes of vertigo along with ringing in the ears (tinnitus) and hearing loss.
▶️What can be mistaken for vertigo?
Less often vertigo may be associated with conditions that affect certain parts of the brain.
♦️Migraine
♦️Head or neck injury
♦️Multiple sclerosis
♦️Stroke
♦️Brain problems such as stroke or tumour.
♦️Some types of medicine – check the leaflet to see if it’s listed as a side effect
♦️Sometimes the cause is unknown.
♦️Low blood pressure, anxiety, anaemia can lead to dizziness
All these conditions can be mistaken for vertigo (dizziness).
▶️How to be sure your symptoms are a vertigo attack.
The clinician must identify the duration of the dizziness episodes.
Are you having episodic or continuous and what (if anything) triggers the episodes.
It is important to understand that any type of dizziness gets worse with position change.
If this is the first time you are experiencing one of these types of vertigo, consult a healthcare professional to assess your symptoms.
After a full assessment your doctor will be able to diagnose vertigo and reassure you.
The goal is to identify any potential warning signs or red flags that may indicate an underlying condition causing the vertigo.
Here are some warning signs and symptoms for people who think they are having a vertigo attack. It does not necessarily mean you have an additional condition.
Simply consult a healthcare professional who will refine the diagnosis.
▶️Symptoms and signs: How vertigo affects the body.
The chart below shows some of the vertigo symptoms faced by people.
▶️How long does vertigo dizziness and feeling last?
Most of the time vertigo isn’t a sign of a serious problem, and it usually disappears on its own within a few days of the first episode.
This will differ from patient to patient. Some vertigo episodes can be severe and last several minutes or hours, days or even months.
In about half of all people who have severe Vertigo, the symptoms may go away after 1 to 3 months.
If the dizzy spells don’t go away on their own or are very difficult for the person to cope with, repositioning manoeuvres can help.
With some people the symptoms of vertigo can be very frightening and may be dangerous, especially in adults over the age of 65.
But with proper diagnosis and treatment it will go away, you just must take it easy.
Be optimistic: Most people with vertigo get better without treatment. For many people, the dizziness disappears completely within even seeking medical help.
▶️How to manage vertigo at home?
There are things you can do to help ease vertigo feelings.
🟤Lie still in a quiet, dark room to reduce the spinning feeling
🟤Move your head carefully and slowly during daily activities
🟤Sit down straight away when you feel dizzy
🟤Turn on the lights if you get up at night
🟤Use a walking stick if you’re at risk of falling
🟤Sleep with your head slightly raised on 2 or more pillows
🟤Get out of bed slowly and sit on the edge of the bed for a while before standing up
🟤Try to relax –anxiety can make vertigo worse
The list is almost endless. Try to follow these steps, there is hope that these solutions will help relieve your symptoms.
▶️Things to avoid when you have vertigo:
❌Do not bend over to pick things up or squat to lower yourself instead
❌Do not stretch your neck for example, while reaching up to a high shelf.
❌Try to avoid foods with high amounts of salt like chips, popcorn, pickles, and canned foods.
❌Alcohol is known to worsen feelings of dizziness, sense of balance and nausea especially if you are prone to episodes of vertigo.
▶️You should always seek medical assessment if:
♦️️ Your vertigo comes on suddenly.
♦️You have vertigo that will not go away.
♦️ You have vertigo that keeps coming back
♦️Vertigo is affecting your daily life.
▶️What treatments are suggested?
The treatment you receive will depend on the cause of your vertigo.
⏭️Physical therapy rehabilitation.
The physical therapist will be able to address coping strategies and prevent falls in a wide range of dizziness disorders.
⏭️Vestibular rehabilitation.
This is a type of physical therapy aimed at helping strengthen the vestibular system.
The function of the vestibular system is to send signals to the brain about head and body movements relative to gravity.
⏭️Canalith repositioning manoeuvres.
A doctor or physical therapist can guide you through a series of specific head and body movements for BPPV.
The movements are done to move the calcium deposits out of the canal into an inner ear chamber so they can be absorbed by the body.
▶️What does a repositioning manoeuvre involve?
The Epley manoeuvre is done in the following way let’s assume the person in this example has loose crystals in their left ear:
♦️Sit upright.
♦️Tilt your head back slightly and move it about 45° to the left.
♦️Lie on your back, keeping your head turned to the left. Wait for about 30 seconds.
♦️Now turn your head to the right by 90°, keeping it tilted back slightly. Wait for about 30 seconds.
♦️ Now turn your whole body to the right. Your head moves with your body until you are almost facing the floor. Wait for about 30 seconds.
♦️ Sit upright again.
Sequence of movements in the Epley manoeuvre for the treatment of BPPV caused by deposits in the left ear
♦️After having this treatment, you can move or lie down normally again.
⏭️Medicine.
In some cases, medication may be given to relieve symptoms such as nausea or motion sickness associated with vertigo.
Are medications effective for curing vertigo?
Hundreds of studies have evaluated the effectiveness of medication in curing and relieving vertigo.
Here are the main medications used and what studies say.
⚪Paracetamol if it is causing you headache.
⚪Antibiotics if vertigo is caused by an ear infection.
⚪Antihistamines can sometimes be used to help with vertigo symptoms.
⚪Anticholinergics.
⚪Benzodiazepines.
⚪Calcium channel antagonists and dopamine receptor antagonists.
There’s not much evidence to suggest any medication is better than any other at relieving vertigo symptoms.
Some people find certain types work well for them and others do not. You may need to try several types to find one that works for you.
These medications often have multiple actions. They may modify the intensity of symptoms, or they may affect the underlying disease process.
Take your medicine as advised by the pharmacist or doctor, or as described in the leaflet that comes with it.
Other common questions about vertigo
Here are some answers frequently asked from people suffering from vertigo.
▶️What is the fastest way to stop vertigo immediately?
If you’re experiencing a vertigo attack, the best thing to do is:
⚪Lie down in a quiet, dark room, close your eyes, and take deep breaths. This may help ease any nausea symptoms and reduce the sensation of spinning
⚪OR start in an upright, seated position on your bed. Tilt your head around a 45-degree angle away from the side causing your vertigo.
⚪Move into the lying position on one side with your nose pointed up. Stay in this position for about 30 seconds or until the vertigo eases off, whichever is longer.
▶️What happens if vertigo is left untreated?
If vertigo is the result of a health complication you’re not treating, vertigo symptoms may become worse.
You can begin to experience long-term health complications because of not treating the underlying cause for your vertigo.
▶️When should you worry about vertigo?
Generally, see your doctor if you experience any recurrent, sudden, severe, or prolonged and unexplained dizziness or vertigo
Get emergency medical care if you experience new, severe dizziness or vertigo along with any of the following:
⚪Sudden, severe headache.
⚪ Chest pain.
▶️Safety while driving or at work when you have vertigo.
If you have vertigo, there are some safety issues to consider. For example:
🟪You should tell your employer if your job involves operating machinery or climbing ladders
Because you may have a higher chance of falling, so try to avoid any climbing.
🟪Don’t ever drive if you are too dizzy because you or someone else could get seriously injured. If you get dizzy while driving, you should pull over to the side of the road and call someone for help.
▶️Driving and vertigo
Here in the United Kingdom, if you drive and you have vertigo.
You must tell DVLA if you experience dizziness that is sudden, disabling or recurrent.
You can be fined up to £1,000 if you don’t tell DVLA about a medical condition that affects your driving. You may be prosecuted if you’re involved in an accident as a result.
It’s advisable to wait one week or more after a severe spell of vertigo is gone before you climb, drive, or operate heavy machinery.
Always consult your driving agencies if you are not sure, remember safety is key.
It is understandable that chronic dizziness or vertigo can cause stress but take it easy and in everything always have hope of getting better.
I wish you a quick recovery!🙋
Source:📚
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