Vertigo Evaluation – Symptoms, Causes and Treatment Options

Vertigo refers to a sense of rotation, rocking or a sensation of whirling and loss of balance. It is associated significantly with looking down from a prominent height or caused by illness hitting the inner ear or the vestibular nerve. Vertigo tends to last for many hours or even days when it occurs spontaneously.

Before sound waves reach the eardrum, it travels through the outer ear canal. There sound transform into vibrations, which are transmitted through the inner ear by three small bones named as the incus, the malleus, and the stapes, to the cochlea and lastly to the vestibular nerve, which carries the signal to our brain.

Semicircular canals are also an important part of the inner ear, positioned at right angles positions to each other.

Signs and Symptoms

Generally, a person suffering from vertigo often feels a sense of spinning or moving even when somebody is still. Vertigo may be a proof of different conditions, and it can even have its own set of connected symptoms. It includes:

• Balance problems and lightheadedness
• A sense of motion sickness
• Nausea and Vomiting
• Tinnitus
• A feeling of fullness in the ear
• A Headache
• A sense of fainting
• Physical signs of vertigo include abnormal eye movements, known as Nystagmus.

Cause of Vertigo

There are a number of diseases and conditions that can lead to vertigo. Vertigo can be defined based upon whether the cause is peripheral or central. Central conditions of vertigo occur in the brain or spinal cord while peripheral vertigo is because of the inner ear problem.

• Benignxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)-The internal ear sends signals to the brain regarding head and body movements relative to gravity. It helps you retain your balance. BPPV occurs when tiny calcium particles collide with canals of the inner ear.
• Labyrint hitis-It is an inner ear problem ordinarily linked to viral infection. This infection leads to inflammation in the inner ear around nerves and it gives birth to vertigo.
• Apart from this, vertigo may be related to Head or neck injury, brain issues like stroke or a tumor, bound medications that cause ear harm, and headache headaches.

Treatment

Some kinds of vertigo resolve without any treatment. However, any underlying drawback may need medical attention. Drugs including antihistamines or anti-emetics can relieve motion sickness and nausea.
Sometimes doctors carried out inner surgery in order to treat a patient with intractable BPPV. In this surgery, the doctor inserts a bone plug into the inner ear in order to block the area where vertigo affects the most.
Contact The Audiology Clinic today and schedule a consultation with our experienced and certified audiologist, Dr. Deepak Kumar, to find out more about the treatment options for Vertigo

Precautions

One who experiences vertigo should not drive or use a ladder. People should also take care when looking upward and not make sudden changes in head position.