What are Dizziness and Vertigo?
Dizziness can encompass a range of odd feelings, such as being lightheaded, faint, or woozy. Vertigo is a more defined and intense feeling of dizziness. It’s described as being off balance – that you or things around you are spinning. Vertigo can interfere with your ability to stand, concentrate, or do daily activities.
What Causes Vertigo?
An issue often causes vertigo with your inner ear. These issues include:
- Meniere’s disease, an internal ear disorder caused by a buildup of fluid in the ear
- Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), which occurs when tiny calcium particles accumulate in the canals of the inner ear
- Vestibular neuritis, inflammation in your inner ear that’s usually due to infection
Migraine headaches can also cause dizziness and vertigo.
What are the Symptoms of Vertigo?
Dizziness and a spinning room are common symptoms of vertigo. You may also have the following:
- A feeling of unsteadiness or loss of balance
- Lightheadedness
- A sense of being tilted or pulled in one direction
- Wooziness or a feeling that you might fall
You may experience these symptoms more when you rise from being seated or when you move your head. Vertigo can even cause you to feel nauseous. It may come and go, lasting for a few minutes to several days or weeks.
How is Vertigo Treated?
How the doctors at Southern ENT Associates treat your vertigo depends on the cause. Sometimes vertigo goes away on its own without treatment, as your brain adapts to inner ear changes.
The doctors may offer vestibular rehabilitation, however, which is a type of physical therapy that strengthens the system that sends signals to the brain about head and body movements. You may also undergo Canalith repositioning maneuvers that aim to treat BPPV and get the calcium deposits out of the ear canal.
The doctors may prescribe medications to reduce your uncomfortable symptoms, including nausea and motion sickness. Antibiotics can resolve vertigo associated with infection and steroids can help reduce inflammation. In cases of Meniere’s disease, taking diuretics to reduce the fluid buildup can also help.
In rare cases, surgery may be required to alleviate the symptoms of vertigo.
To learn more about treatment for chronic dizziness or vertigo, call one of the offices of Southern ENT Associates or book an appointment online today.
