Symptoms of dizziness and vertigo
Descriptions of dizziness may include :
- a sensation of movement (including spinning), either of yourself or the external environment
- unsteadiness, including finding it difficult to walk in a straight line
- light-headedness
- feeling faint.
early symptoms that may accompany dizziness include :
- headache
- nausea and vomiting
- ringing or other sounds in the ears (tinnitus)
- difficulty hearing
- staggering gait and loss of coordination (ataxia)
- unusual eye movements, such as flitting of the eyes (nystagmus)
- finding it difficult to see clearly when moving, for example, when reading a sign while walking or driving.
The inner ear and balance
Inside the inside ear is a series of canals filled with fluid. These canals are oriented at different angles and, as the head moves, the drift of the fluent inside these canals tells the genius how far, how fast and in what direction the head is moving.
This information is then used by the brain to move the eyes an equal and opposite measure, so that the persona that is ‘ seen ’ by the eyes does not blur and remains clear.
Causes of dizziness and vertigo
A broad rate of conditions and diseases can cause dizziness, including :
- inner ear problems – disorders of the inner ear account for about half of all cases of persistent (ongoing) dizziness. Such disorders include
Meniere’s disease
,
benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)
and
vestibular neuritis
- anxiety disorders – stress or
anxiety
may play a role in causing dizziness or, more commonly, may be a contributing factor in dizziness from other causes, such as inner ear disease
- brain disorders – a common cause of dizziness is migraine, even without the headache that most people associate with a
migraine
. Very rarely, other causes of dizziness can include stroke or other brain diseases
- other conditions – some cases of dizziness are due to underlying medical conditions such as
low blood pressure
, infection, some heart problems (such as cardiac
arrhythmias
) and
hypoglycaemia
(low blood sugar). Medications that are used to treat conditions such as epilepsy, coronary heart disease and high blood pressure can also cause dizziness in some people
- unknown causes – although a cause may not be found in some people, it does not necessarily mean that these people cannot be helped by the appropriate treatment.
Diagnosis of dizziness and vertigo
In trying to work out the cause of a person ’ mho dizziness, investigations may include :
- medical history, including careful questioning about the nature of the dizziness
- physical examination, which may include observing eye movements, positional testing and a blood pressure check
- specialised hearing or balance testing
-
CT
or
MRI
scans of the inner ear or brain
- other tests relating to specific conditions.
Treatment of dizziness and vertigo
Treatment depends on what your doctor thinks is causing your dizziness.
Potential treatment options may include :
- canalith positioning procedures – a special set of exercises designed to remove inner ear ‘crystals’ in benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)
- migraine prevention medication
- medication to dampen the sensations of dizziness
- anti-nausea medication
- balancing exercises to ‘retrain’ the nervous system (usually prescribed by a vestibular physiotherapist)
- counselling and cognitive behaviour therapy – where anxiety or stress is a factor.
