Vertigo Tips

Vertigo is a feeling that your head or your surrounding is spinning. It is an illusion of movement. People with vertigo cannot bend down to pick up stuff, as they may feel the spinning sensation.
There are two types i.e. objective and subjective. Vertigo is said to objective when the surrounding seems to be spinning; subjective is when the person feels their head is spinning. Vertigo can be slightly mysterious to diagnose. There are, however, some causes which can help you understand it better. There are two main types of vertigo: Central and Peripheral. Central vertigo is when there is an issue in the brain that is causing vertigo. Middle ear problems leading to vertigo is known as peripheral vertigo.

Central vertigo:

• Paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV): Also known as, Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). These episodes are benign and occur in paroxysms or spurts. The person will feel the attack with simple actions like turning over in bed. They do not last long, often about 20 to 30 seconds.
• Migraine: Known for the severe headaches, migraine can also cause vertigo.
• Head trauma: This type of vertigo usually subsides with time as the person recovers from trauma.
• Neck injuries: Injury to nerves and blood vessels in the neck can also lead to vertigo.
• Health conditions: General health issues like arteriosclerosis, multiple sclerosis, and diabetes lead to vertigo.
• Stroke or blood flow blockage: When blood does not reach the base of the brain, it can result in vertigo.

Peripheral vertigo:

• Middle ear infections: Labyrinthitis (either bacterial or viral) a middle ear infection can cause vertigo. Common viruses include herpes, influenza, measles, rubella, hepatitis, and EBV.
• Meniere’s disease: Another ear problem causing vertigo is Meniere’s disease. This is known for its 3 symptoms – vertigo, ringing in the ears (tinnitus) and hearing loss. This can be caused by various factors, some of which can include ear infections, head injuries, or heredity. The exact cause of the condition is not established clearly.
• Acoustic neuroma: A tumor of the nerve tissue in the inner ear may cause vertigo. The person can also have hearing loss and ringing sensation.

Other causes of vertigo include:

• Pregnancy: During the first trimester, in particular, the various hormonal changes can cause vertigo. The expanding uterus puts pressure on the blood vessels, leading to reduced blood supply to the brain, which can also induce vertigo. As the baby continues to grow, lying on the back can put pressure on the blood vessels to the heart, causing vertigo.
• Stress: It is known to worsen vertigo, which a person may already have. Anxiety and panic attacks are known to worsen vertigo.
• Travelers: Be it ship, air, or train, some people experience a spinning sensation with any form of travel.
   

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is among the common causes of vertigo. It is the sudden sensation of the spinning of your head which occurs with the change of position of your head. It is a disorder of the inner ear. It occurs when calcium carbonate crystals accumulate in large numbers in any one of the ear canals and stimulate abnormal fluid movement in the inner ear. This sends false signals of head movement to the brain. This can also crop up post head injury. Rolling over the bed or quick head movements like when sitting up in bed can also trigger this condition. 

The common symptoms of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo are as follows:

1. Vomiting and nausea. 
2. Vertigo Blurred vision
3. Intense dizziness 
4. Loss of balance 

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo may be treated in the following manner:

1. Medication to get relief from the spinning of your head. 
2. Epley's Maneuver involves transportation of the calcium particles to a different part of the ear which will no longer cause any problems. 
3. Brandt-Daroff exercises. 
4. Sometimes watchful waiting can help a person to recover without having to undergo any other treatment but it is a long process and often involves risk factors. 
5. Surgery: This option is used rarely when other treatments fail. 

A very important thing to remember is that vertigo can lead to falls and driving should be avoided. The patient will need support during an episode to avoid injuries.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is among the common causes of vertigo. It is the sudden sensation of the spinning of your head which occurs with the change of position of your head. It is a disorder of the inner ear. It occurs when calcium carbonate crystals accumulate in large numbers in any one of the ear canals and stimulate abnormal fluid movement in the inner ear. This sends false signals of head movement to the brain. This can also crop up post head injury. Rolling over the bed or quick head movements like when sitting up in bed can also trigger this condition. 

The common symptoms of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo are as follows:

1. Vomiting and nausea. 
2. Vertigo Blurred vision
3. Intense dizziness 
4. Loss of balance 

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo may be treated in the following manner:

1. Medication to get relief from the spinning of your head. 
2. Epley's Maneuver involves transportation of the calcium particles to a different part of the ear which will no longer cause any problems. 
3. Brandt-Daroff exercises. 
4. Sometimes watchful waiting can help a person to recover without having to undergo any other treatment but it is a long process and often involves risk factors. 
5. Surgery: This option is used rarely when other treatments fail. 

A very important thing to remember is that vertigo can lead to falls and driving should be avoided. The patient will need support during an episode to avoid injuries.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

During the change of seasons there is a change in humidity in the atmosphere which may affect, so take precautions not to go out in morning or evening.

Vertigo is a medical condition where the affected person feels that the world or surrounding environment is spinning or moving. It is accompanied with nausea, vomiting, sweating and having problems in walking steadily. Moving your head worsens this condition. An illusion of movement is observed. Vertigo arises from several conditions. There are mainly two types of vertigo.

Peripheral vertigo:
This is the most common vertigo and is caused often due to a problem in the balance mechanism of the inner ear. The causes include:

1. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo: Being one of the common causes of vertigo, BPPV occurs due to certain head movements when standing up or bending over. The attacks are short, powerful and recurrent in nature. Nausea is also accompanied. A feeling of light headedness and despaired balance is observed after the attack. Fragments of calcium carbonate crystals are broken off from the channel linings present in the inner ear. These fragments cause the problem by getting into the ear fluid canals, and certain  head movement sweeps them across the canal causing vertigo.
2. Head injury: Vertigo develops due to head injuries, and the symptoms are similar to that of dizziness.
3. Labyrinthitis: It is an infection in the inner ear, which causes the labyrinth of the ear to get inflamed. The labyrinth controls our hearing and balance. An inflammation causes it to send different information than the other, normal ear. This conflict causes vertigo. Such vertigo can be accompanied with nausea, vomiting, loss of hearing and ear pain.
4. Vestibular neuronitis: This is a condition pertaining to the inner ear, which causes inflammation of the nerve which connects the labyrinth to the brain.  The condition arises from viral infections. Nausea and vomiting are observed, and this condition leads to vertigo.
5. Menieres disease: This rare condition in the inner ear causes severe vertigo along with hearing loss and aural fullness. Menieres disease prompts sudden vertigo attacks with nausea and vomiting.

Central vertigo:

Central vertigo arises from problems in the cerebellum of the brain and brainstem. Causes include:

1. Migraines
2. Sclerosis, a condition which affects the central nervous system.
3. Acoustic neuroma, a type of brain cancer growing on the acoustic nerve.
4. Brain tumors, stroke or transient ischemic attack.
5. Certain medications.

Treatment
Treatment of vertigo depends on the cause and on the extent of symptoms. Labyrinthis and vestibular neuronitis are cured by vestibular rehabilitation and medication. BBVV is treated using a process called the Epley maneuver. Menieres disease is cured by modes of dietary restriction, medication, treating tinnitus and treating hearing loss. Generally, curing the cause of vertigo helps in healing the disorder.

Vertigo is caused from different reasons and factors and rectification of these factors helps in the treatment of vertigo. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

• Ringing sensation in the ear a very common complain of a patient. Any unwanted sound is called tinnitus. Sometime it is associated with other symptoms like aural fullness and vertigo.
• Most of the time it is a only symptom especially in case of old age people, people suffering from diabetes or hypertension or central obesity.

Prohibition of lying down on the side which affects more, avoid jerky movement of head, avoid any sudden movement and sit down when this occurs.

Vertigo is the sensation of spinning where a patient feels as if the whole surrounding is rotating and a fear of fall is experienced, getting off balanced or pulled to one particular side is experienced as well.

The feeling of vertigo is very scary and unpleasant leaving the patient terrified and perplexed what actually caused that spinning sensation (vertigo).

Well, vertigo can be caused due to various factors and reasons, although it's more prevalent after the age of 40

Vertigo that often lasts for few seconds is not severe and is often not associated with dizziness, nausea, tinnitus (ringing behind the ear), it can be treated effectively by simple movements taught by the physiotherapist or a doctor.

• This type of vertigo is called bening paroxysmal positional vertigo (bppv) which is very common, and as the name suggests it's not dangerous, and it lasts only for few seconds (paroxysmal) and it's experienced only with specific head movement like turning to left or right or up down.
• This is due to the inner ear rock crystals called canalith made up of calcium gets displaced from its position, which needs to be repositioned by certain vestibular rehabilitation.
• Diagnosis for bppv is confirmed by thorough history taking, examination,
• Otoscope to rule out wax, infections, dix-hallpike test is done by the clinician to confirm bppv.

Vertigo that lasts for few minutes to hour associated with pain, nausea, hearing loss and tinnitus and is not specific to head movement can be severe, it's called meniere's disease, it's a disease if the inner ear where there is accumulation of fluids and disturbed ear pressure.

Vertigo can also be due to inner ear infections or inflammation called as vestibular neuritis or labyrinthitis which may be associated with pain, hearing loss.

Uncommon cause of vertigo are:

• Space occupying lesion like tumour
• Stroke
• Brain or head/neck injury
• Severe migraine headache

Treatment of vertigo:

• Vertigo due to meniere's disease will be treated by medications like diuretics, anti-inflammatory, antibiotics, etc.
• Vertigo due to bppv can be treated by the following procedures:
• Epley's manoeuvre or the canalith repositioning manoeuvre.
• Half somersault exercise
• Brant-daroff exercise
• Semont manoeuvre
• Eye gaze exercise

Bppv once treated rarely comes back, one or couple of sessions of epley's manoeuvre or half somersault may be needed to totally fix it, if it relapses same manoeuvre can be repeated once learnt by a qualified physiotherapist or a ent doctor.
Recurrence of vertigo is once or twice in a year.

Here we will learn how to safely do half somersault manoeuvre as it's one of the most effective and easy to do (do it yourself) technique to immediately stop vertigo due to bppv

Technique of half somersault manoeuvre:
Step by step instructions for right sided bppv --

A. Kneel on the floor or in the middle of a large bed. Tip your head straight upward quickly until you are looking straight up at the ceiling. This may cause dizziness briefly.

B. Next place your head on the floor upside down, as if you are about to do a somersault. Tuck the chin so that your head touches the floor near the back of the head rather than near the forehead. This position may cause a burst of vertigo. Without moving, wait until any vertigo ends. The vertigo means the particles are moving in the proper direction. Tapping firmly on the skull with your fingertips just behind the right ear can help move the particles along.

C. Slowly turn your head to face your right elbow. Try to center the right elbow in your field of view. You will keep your head turned to the right through the rest of the maneuver. Again, wait for any vertigo to end before moving to the next step.

D. Keeping your head turned to the right and viewing your right elbow, quickly raise your head to shoulder level. Your head should be positioned at about 45-degree angle to the floor throughout this move. Vertigo is normal during this part of the procedure. Wait for the vertigo to end or count to 15 before continuing.

E. Raise your head to the upright position quickly, keeping it about halfway turned toward the right shoulder. Some additional vertigo may occur. After the vertigo subsides, slowly sit upright.

Rest for 15 minutes. After the rest, quickly tip your head up and down. If no dizziness occurs do not repeat the maneuver. If you still feel some dizziness when making that movement, repeat the maneuver. You may also repeat the maneuver if you have another vertigo spell in the future.

Additional instructions:

• Always wait at least 15 minutes between maneuver to allow particles to settle.
• Sleep propped up on 2 or 3 pillows for two nights following maneuver.
• Sleep only on your left side for a week after the maneuver (put a pillow behind you to keep you from rolling over in the night).
   

In case you suffer from vertigo we have the best solution for you. This maneuver is recommended by carol foster, m. D. Who is an associate professor of otolaryngology at the university of colorado hospital. She has helped millions of people around the world get rid of vertigo by performing the half somersault maneuver.

The half somersault maneuver

1. Start by kneeling on your knees
2. Tilt your head so that you look at the ceiling then place it on the ground like you are preparing to perform a somersault
3. Turn your head to face your left elbow
4. Remain in this position and breathe until the dizziness stops
5. Return your head to the center and raise it until it forms a straight line with the back
6. Sit back and breathe

Vertigo can be due to several different causes. Positional vertigo related to inner ear is completely curable if diagnosed and treated correctly. If you have any type of vertigo don't just take vertin instead seek help from a Vestibular Specialist trained specially to evaluate and treat vertigo from root level.