Vertigo

Vertigo – General Information

Vertigo is a specific type of dizziness which is one of the major symptoms of a balance disorder. The dizziness is the sensation of spinning while the body is staying in the same place. This medical condition is divided in two subcategories subjective and objective. The subjective type means that the person feels a sensation of movement which is false, while the objective type is when the person sees that the surroundings are moving past her field of vision. This medical condition is associated in most of the cases with a problem in the inner ear’s mechanism of balance, more precisely a problem in the vestibular system, in the brain or in the nervous connections which are established between different organs. The doctors believe that the most common cause which leads to the appearance of this medical condition is the benign paroxysmal positional Vertigo (also abbreviated BPPV). This medical condition may also be a symptom of an inner ear infection or of the drug toxicity (such as gentamicin toxicity), strokes, and tumors. This medical condition may also appear as a consequence of various accidents such as brain trauma, skull fractures, symptoms of motion sickness, sudden changes of the blood pressure, or as a consequence of carbon monoxide poisoning, Meniere’s disease. This medical condition is classified in two categories depending on the ear location of the damaged tissue. This disease is one of the most common health problems which appear in adults and it has been proven that more than 50% of the people experience dizziness at least once in their life and it affects more women than men.

Vertigo – Symptoms

It is well known the fact that any medical disorder (including Vertigo) can trigger a variety of symptoms. Therefore, some of this medical condition's most uncommon symptoms have not been listed (mentioned) here. This is why we strongly recommend you to contact your personal health care provider whenever you develop any unusual, bothersome or unpleasant symptoms. Your personal physician will be able to tell you if you are suffering from Vertigo or from any other medical disorder. Here is a list of the most common symptoms that a person who suffers from this disorder, may experience, although each individual experiences them differently. The effects of this medical condition are usually slight, it can lead to nausea and vomiting and in the more severe cases it may cause difficulties in standing and also in walking.  The symptoms which appear in the BPPV come and go and usually last from seconds to a few minutes and include: nausea and imbalance. These two symptoms may appear as a consequence of changing the head’s position. The peripheral vestibular problems may lead to headaches, palpitations, fatigue, blurred vision, imbalance, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, sweating, and problems with the concentration. The central vestibular problems develop gradually and may cause the following symptoms: diplopia (meaning double vision), severe headaches, lack of coordination, nausea, weakness, vomiting, muscle impairment which may lead to the inability of talking, impaired consciousness. Some of the complications of Vertigo include depression, loss of self-esteem, injuries from falls (the falls lead to serious problems in the elderly people), and irritability.

Vertigo – Treatment

The doctors usually try to identify the cause of the Vertigo in order to cut off the list some of the serious conditions which have as a primary symptom the dizziness such as stroke, tumor, hemorrhage or cardiovascular disease. The diagnosis process includes a physical and neurological examination, imaging tests and also blood tests. In the physical examination the doctor will check the patient’s blood pressure and hear pulse. In the neurological examination the doctor will do test the facial and vestibular nerves and he will also test the strength, coordination and balance of the muscles. Other tests which are performed in order to establish the correct diagnostic are: the positional vertigo test (this is used in order for the doctor to be able to distinguish the vestibular disorders from the peripheral ones), electronystagmoography (also abbreviated ENG, is a test used to evaluate the vestibular system), blood tests (the blood tests include kidney panels, thyroid panels and a complete blood count), imaging tests (these are tests used in order to see if there are any abnormalities in the brain as a stroke, tumor, etc.).

In order to recommend a certain treatment in the cases of the patients who are suffering from Vertigo the doctors or personal health care providers should take into consideration the factors which trigger this medical condition, the symptoms the patients are experiencing, and the period of the dizziness. The treatment of Vertigo is based in most of the cases on the identification and elimination of the underlying cause of the disease (for example if this medical condition appears as a consequence of the intake of a certain medicine, then the patient will be recommended either to lower the dosage of that drug, or the eliminate it completely). Here are some treatments options used to treat the patients who are suffering from Vertigo: the vestibular rehabilitation therapy (also abbreviated VRT is a physical therapy which is used to minimize the dizziness, to prevent the falls, and to improve the patient’s balance. If the treatment is successful or not depends on the age of the patients, physical strength, cognitive functions, etc.), medication (the ear infections such as otitis, labyrinthitis which are caused by bacteria can be successfully treated with medication such as Amoxicillin, Ceftriaxone, etc.). The BPPV is usually treated with Meclizine which is an antiemetic drug; this drug may lead to different side effects such as: blurred vision, dry mouth and drowsiness. In the cases in which the Meclizine is not effective, then the doctor or personal health care provider will prescribe to the patients benzodiazepines such as Clonazepam (these drugs may have the following side effects fatigue, insomnia, tremors and drowsiness), Promethazine or antihistamines. The Ménière disease is usually treated by reducing the salt intake with the antidiuretic drugs which the doctor has prescribed to the patient, corticosteroids which help to reduce the inflammation and antibiotics (these are used to treat the severe cases). The tumors, multiple sclerosis or the cerebrovascular diseases (such as the strokes) are usually treated with medication, radiation and if these two are not effective with surgery.