Feeling lightheaded after skipping breakfast or standing up too quickly is not usually a big deal. However, if you frequently feel like the world around you is spinning, you might be dealing with vertigo.
What is Vertigo?
Vertigo itself is not a disease but a symptom of various underlying conditions. Symptoms can vary between patients but may include nausea, vomiting, hearing loss, ear fullness, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), balance issues, motion sickness, headaches and involuntary eye movements (nystagmus).
The frequent dizziness of vertigo can dampen your ability to enjoy sports, exercise, driving and more. Finding the underlying cause of your vertigo and seeking treatment can improve your stability and quality of life.
Causes and Treatments of Vertigo
There are two main kinds of vertigo: central and peripheral. Central vertigo stems from conditions affecting your brain, including migraines, multiple sclerosis, strokes and brain tumors.
Peripheral vertigo, the most common type, arises from issues within the inner ear or the vestibular nerve, which is essential for maintaining balance. A few common clauses include:
- Ménière’s disease: a disorder involving an abnormal amount of fluid in the inner ear, leading to vertigo, hearing loss, tinnitus (ringing in the ear) and a feeling of fullness or pressure.
- Labyrinthitis: an inflammation of the inner ear labyrinth and vestibular nerve, often caused by a viral or bacterial infection. It results in vertigo, hearing loss and sometimes tinnitus.
- Vestibular neuritis: Similar to labyrinthitis, this condition involves an infection (usually viral) that causes inflammation of the vestibular nerve.
- Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV): BPPV occurs when tiny calcium crystals (otoconia) become dislodged from their usual location and move into the semicircular canals of the inner ear, causing brief episodes of vertigo with changes in head position.
Effective management of vertigo depends on its underlying cause and severity. Common treatment options include medication, physical therapy, lifestyle modifications, repositioning techniques (especially in cases of BPPV) and, rarely, surgical interventions.
By accurately diagnosing the cause of vertigo, ENT specialists can tailor the treatment to effectively alleviate symptoms and improve your quality of life.
When to See an ENT Specialist
If vertigo symptoms worsen, become debilitating or persist for more than a few weeks, reach out to an ENT specialist to find ways to treat or manage it. Contact Ear, Nose & Throat Associates today and take the first step towards regaining your balance and well-being.