How Do You Know if You Have Vertigo?
Vertigo is a condition that causes the feeling of being dizzy, unbalanced, or unsteady. People who live with vertigo can seek treatment that can help them reduce and manage their symptoms so they can feel and function better.
But how do you know if what you’re feeling is vertigo? Keep reading to learn more about the possible causes, signs, and symptoms of vertigo.
What is Vertigo?
Vertigo is a symptom of other conditions that causes the sensation of dizziness or spinning. Sometimes, people experience mild vertigo symptoms for just a few moments. But in other cases, someone may experience dizziness or feel unsteady for hours or days.
Vertigo can develop quickly and happen over and over. Vertigo can sometimes prevent people from functioning in their day-to-day activities. Vertigo treatment can address the symptoms of vertigo and help people reduce or eliminate periods of vertigo.
Possible Causes of Vertigo
In many cases, vertigo is a symptom of an inner ear problem. Here are some of the most common causes of vertigo.
BPPV
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) occurs when tiny calcium particles collect in your inner ear and interfere with your sense of balance.
Meniere’s disease
Meniere’s disease develops as a result of fluid buildup in the inner ear that causes a change in pressure. Ringing ears–also known as tinnitus–and vertigo are common symptoms of this condition. Hearing loss can also occur.
Vestibular neuritis
Some viral infections can cause inner ear problems, including vestibular neuritis. Inflammation in the inner ear can affect the nerves there and impairs balance.
Other causes
Although not as common, vertigo can occur as a result of other conditions, including:
- Head injury
- Neck injury
- Stroke
- Brain tumors
- Medications that damage the ears
- Migraines
Symptoms of Vertigo
The symptoms of vertigo can be mild or severe and can occur suddenly. Some people may be able to ignore mild symptoms, and others may be incapacitated by severe vertigo that lasts for days.
Common symptoms of vertigo include sensations like:
- Dizziness
- Tilting
- Feeling unbalanced
- Spinning
- Swaying
- Leaning or being pulled in one direction
People may also experience the following:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Jerking eye movements
- Headaches
- Sweating
- Ringing ears or hearing loss
Symptoms may come and go over a period of minutes or hours and can vary from person to person.
What Are the Vertigo Treatment Options?
Understanding what is causing vertigo is essential to treating it. For many, vertigo disappears without treatment as the brain adapts to changes in the inner ear.
But for some, treatment is critical to manage their symptoms and provide relief from vertigo.
Treatment options range from physical therapy and chiropractic care to medications and surgery, depending on the frequency and severity of your vertigo.
Finding Vertigo Treatment
If you experience periods of dizziness or vertigo, you don’t have to just live with the discomfort. The Hartman Center offers a holistic approach to vertigo treatment that can help you manage symptoms and reduce the frequency of your vertigo episodes. Reach out to our team today to learn more about our treatment programs.
How to Cure Vertigo Permanently?
Living with vertigo can be challenging, making you feel distressed and dizzy. Also, vertigo can disrupt your daily activities. Vertigo will usually go away by itself, but if it’s happening often or the symptoms are severe, then you should see a medical professional.
Ways to Reduce the Effects of Vertigo
There are a few simple ways to reduce the effects of your vertigo. When your symptoms emerge, you could try:
- As soon as you start feeling off balance or dizzy, sit down. Ease into the chair smoothly and calmly so that you don’t exacerbate your symptoms.
- If sitting down doesn’t help, lie down in a dark room. This should alleviate the tilting and spinning sensations.
These steps should help to ease your symptoms so that you don’t feel so dizzy. Taking precautions like lying down or sitting will also stop you from falling while your balance is bad.
Curing Vertigo
In some instances, vertigo goes away without treatment. There are certain treatments for some causes of vertigo.
Physical Therapy
Epley maneuver, which is simple head movements, is used to treat vertigo. Also, many individuals with vertigo benefit from vestibular rehabilitation training (VRT), and exercises for those with balance issues and dizziness. VRT is typically done on an outpatient basis, but it may also be done at home, a hospital, or a medical clinic.
Medication
Medicines used to help relieve vertigo symptoms are often more successful at treating vertigo that lasts a few hours or days. Most vertigo episodes and early stages of vertigo can be cured using medicines like antihistamines or prochlorperazine. Talk with your physician to see which drugs might be right for your specific condition.
Surgery
Surgery isn’t a standard vertigo treatment. However, it’s sometimes necessary. You may need a surgical procedure if your symptoms are due to an underlying condition, like a neck injury or brain tumor. Other surgical procedures could be required, contingent on what’s triggering your vertigo episodes.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy, also called “talk therapy,” aids you in recognizing bad behaviors and replacing them with effective solutions. There are various types of psychotherapy. Some folks with vertigo could benefit from psychotherapy, even though their illness isn’t due to a psychiatric disorder.
Treat an Underlying Issue
Your physician may advise other remedies for your vertigo, based on the underlying issue that’s producing your symptoms.
For example, individuals with conditions like diabetes, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, anemia, and heart disease could develop vertigo. You may need certain treatments to remedy these diseases.
Going Away on Its Own
Your vertigo can resolve on its own with no treatment. Some people with vertigo frequently see their symptoms go away within a couple of weeks or months.
An Effective Vertigo Treatment Plan for You
At the Hartman Center, we perform tests and examinations to come up with an effective solution for your vertigo. Schedule a 15-minute complimentary call with us to discuss how our medical professionals can create a vertigo treatment plan to get rid of your vertigo permanently.
What is Vertigo?
Vertigo is a feeling that everything around you is spinning, making you feel dizzy. Vertigo isn’t a disease. Instead, it’s a sign of various conditions.
While both vertigo and dizziness are considered balance issues, the two symptoms are different. Dizziness is the feeling of being off-balance. Vertigo is a feeling that your environment is spinning or that you’re moving. It's not just feeling off-kilter. Vertigo worsens when you move your head.
Different Types of Vertigo
There are two major types of vertigo:
Peripheral vertigo: This occurs when there’s an inner ear issue.
Central vertigo: This occurs when there’s a brain issue resulting from an infection, a brain tumor, a stroke, or a traumatic brain injury.
Signs and Symptoms of Vertigo
Symptoms of vertigo differ from person to person. Your symptoms may be mild or severe, contingent on what's causing the problem.
Some common signs of peripheral vertigo include:
- Dizziness
- Hearing loss in one ear
- Problems focusing the eyes
- Feeling like you’re spinning
- Balance problems
- Vomiting or nausea
- Sweating
- Ringing in the ears
Some common signs of central vertigo include:
- Facial paralysis
- Difficulty swallowing
- Double vision
- Eye movement difficulties
Causes and Risk Factors of Vertigo
Vertigo isn't a disease. It's a symptom of other conditions. Discovering what’s causing your symptoms is the first course of action your physician will take in evaluating how to cure your vertigo. Detecting certain medical conditions and risk factors may be helpful.
A range of conditions could cause vertigo. Some of the usual conditions are Ménière's disease, labyrinthitis, and BPPV. Less typical reasons are head injuries, migraines, stroke, and medication.
The Seriousness of Vertigo
Vertigo can be frightening, but the disorder itself isn’t deemed serious. However, vertigo may be connected to other possibly severe health problems. That’s why you should let your doctor know if you are having frequent or long vertigo episodes.
Typically, vertigo episodes last a few seconds to a few minutes. In severe cases, a vertigo episode can last for hours, days, weeks, or months.
Diagnosing Vertigo
Diagnosing vertigo isn't always easy. It can be a complex process since people with dizziness usually have a problem describing their exact symptoms.
First, your doctor will try to find out if you have actual vertigo by asking about your specific symptoms. Next, the emphasis will be on identifying a cause. Your doctor may ask about your medical history, examine you, and perform different tests. At The Hartman Center, we perform computerized posturography, and advanced diagnostics such as videonystagmography (VNG) and Vestibular Head-Impulse Testing to accurately diagnose and localize dysfunction in the brain and nervous system to remediate dizziness and vertigo symptom
Every patient might need different testing based on the alleged reasons for vertigo.
When to Call a Doctor
You should seek a medical professional who specializes in vertigo treatment if you have symptoms that come back frequently for more than seven days.
It's also an excellent idea to see your physician if you experience dizziness that affects your everyday activities.