Feeling Dizzy? It May Be Vertigo

Does it happen that you woke up in the morning and your head spins? Do you feel frizzy often? It may be vertigo.

What is vertigo?

Vertigo is a sense of feeling “off-balance”. The person feels his/her head spins when suddenly standing, walking, or stopping walking. 

Vertigo is primarily caused due to an inner ear problem or occasionally due to spinal or brain-related problems that function to maintain body balance. 

What causes vertigo?

Some other causes of vertigo include:

Meniere’s disease– This is an inner ear disorder. It is caused due to fluid buildup in the inner ear, pressurizing the cochlea and internal ear parts. This phenomenon causes vertigo, ringing ears (tinnitus), and hearing loss.

BPPV: Stands for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. BPPV occurs when tiny calcium particles accumulate in the inner ear or ear canal. The accumulation builds pressure in the inner ear, in the cochlea that perceives and transmits auditory signals to the brain. It also helps in balancing body movements relating to gravity.

Vestibular neuritis:  Vestibular neuritis or labyrinthitis is an inner ear infection. The infection causes inflammation inside the inner ear and affects nerves that cause the body to sense off-balance.

Vertigo is also associated with the following incidents:

• Sudden head or neck injury due to an accident.
• A brain stroke, tumor, or other brain-related problems. 
• Certain medications cause ear infections as a reaction.
• Rarely but migraine headaches can also be associated with vertigo.

Vertigo symptoms

People with vertigo describe symptoms as swaying, spinning, tilting, and going in one direction. As vertigo symptoms, people also experience nausea, vomiting, headaches, sweating, and ringing ears.

These symptoms last a few minutes to hours, and the frequency of vertigo episodes may increase with non-treatment.

How is vertigo diagnosed?

If Dr. Peter suspects vertigo, he might ask for a

• Eye and head motion test– On suspecting vertigo, Dr. Peter will ask the eye and head to move sideways and upside-down. He will observe the eyes and head movements and ask about what you see and how you feel. 
• Rotary chair test– In this test, you sit in a computer-controlled chair, and the chair rotates slowly in small arcs. You may have vertigo if you feel dizzy or cannot tolerate the motion test.
• Posturography– The patient is asked to stand bare feet and maintain balance as long as possible. This test concludes which balancing part of the body is associated with causing vertigo sensations.

What are the probable vertigo treatments?

The vertigo treatment depends on the severity of vertigo symptoms. However, as a vertigo specialist in Dubai, he will recommend the following vertigo treatment.

1. Medications: Medications are given to manage vertigo symptoms such as nausea and vomiting 
2. Vestibular rehabilitation: It is a therapy that aims to strengthen the vestibular system. The vestibular system transmits signals to the brain about body balances.
3. Diuretics or lorazepam tablets– Water pills or diuretics are prescribed to lessen fluid build-up and pressure in the ear canal to ease water build-up from Meniere’s disease.
4. Steroids– Steroids are prescribed to reduce nerve swelling in the inner ear.
5. There are diverse manuevers, like the Epley maneuver to alleviate BPPV symptoms – The doctor will teach specific head and body movements to ease BPPV symptoms. The movements aim to push the calcium accumulated into the inner ear so that they are absorbed by it and vanish.

In rare cases, when the vertigo symptoms are caused due to tumor or brain or neck injury. Dr. Peter may suggest the need for surgery. Surgery might be a remedy, however there is a need to be sure of its need,

Dr. Peter Baptista Jardin is a revered ENT specialist and otolaryngologist in Dubai with a special interest in sleep apnea treatment. Dr. Peter uses specific technology to treat ear, nose, and throat problems. Apart from a sleep apnea specialist, he also treats vertigo, tinnitus, and ENT-related issues.

If you are getting tinnitus, dizziness, or symptoms related to vertigo, book an appointment with a vertigo specialist in Dubai, Dr. Peter Baptista.