3 Causes of Vertigo

Vertigo is a symptom and something that isn’t necessarily a condition itself. It’s the sensation that you or that the surrounding around you is moving or spinning. This is something that can vary in the level you feel it. For some, it may barely be noticeable but for others, it could be so severe that it becomes difficult to do even the most basic of tasks and can be hard to keep your balance. In this article, we’ll explain the three causes of vertigo and how it can best be treated.

Symptoms of vertigo

When it comes to attacks of vertigo, they can develop very quickly and last for a few seconds, although in some cases they can last a lot longer. There are some with severe vertigo where the sensation might last for several days before it goes away. This can obviously make normal life a lot more difficult than normal. There are other symptoms that are worth looking out for when it comes to vertigo and these are:

• Loss of balance: You may find it difficult to stand or walk and find yourself needing to sit down or remain stationary until the feeling passes.
• Feeling sick or being sick: This is a symptom that’s common due to the sensation it causes and motion sickness is likely to occur due to that feeling.
• Dizziness: A common symptom that’s associated with the loss of balance you may feel.

Again, these symptoms may only last for so long but for severe cases, it could mean that you’re dealing with these issues for a lot longer than usual.

What causes vertigo?

Vertigo is usually something that’s caused due to a problem with the way balance works within the inner ear. It also occurs when there are problems within certain areas of the brain. There are a few causes of vertigo that are worth knowing:

• Migraines: These are severe headaches that can result in you need to keep your eyes closed or to rest your body by sleeping. It can also be affected by the lighting and you may be sensitive to looking at light. 
• Labyrinthitis: This is an inner ear infection that affects balance. It can usually get better by itself within a few weeks but is obviously very close to the symptom of vertigo in that you have very little balance in your body.
• Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV): This is caused when certain head movements trigger vertigo to occur.

With any of these three causes, there are additional symptoms depending on the severity of vertigo. This could be a high-temperature or fever.

How can vertigo be treated?

There are some cases where vertigo improves over time without the need for any treatment. But there are cases in some patients where repeated episodes happen for many months or perhaps even for years. When it comes to treating vertigo, there are certain treatments that can help. For BPPV, a cause of vertigo that’s mentioned above, some simple head movements can be good in treating this condition.

There are some medicines available that may be worth taking if you experience vertigo. These are prochlorperazine and antihistamines. Antihistamines are most common when it comes to dealing with allergic reactions. Some patients that deal with vertigo may also find that vestibular rehabilitation training helps. This is a series of exercises that people do to help combat dizziness and balance issues.

As well as the treatments above, there may be simple things you can do in the form of self-care. Looking after your body, after all, is very important to do and the following mentioned might be helpful in relieving some of the symptoms you’re experiencing:

• Sleep with your head slightly raised up. You can use two or more pillows for this.
• Try to get up more slowly and wait a few seconds before standing.
• Avoid bending down to pick up things.
• Do more exercises that trigger your vertigo so that your brain can get used to the sensation.

Everyone is a bit different so you might find that all of these exercises help, perhaps one or two help or none of them do. If your vertigo is persistent, it’s important to get in touch with specialists who may be able to help reduce the symptoms of vertigo that may be having an effect or impact on your life. If you want to learn more about how Mountain Ear, Nose & Throat Associates, then it’s worth giving them a call today at 828-586-7474 for Sylva, 828-524-5599 for Franklin, 828-835-1014 for Murphy and 828-458-8100 for Asheville.