What Really is Vertigo?

 

Vertigo is the sensation of rotation, rocking, or spinning environment that's experienced even when someone's really still. Anyone with these dizzy feeling may feel like the world around them is spinning or they're spinning themselves.

 

Vertigo causes

 

Vertigo is usually brought about by an inner ear problem. Some common cause of vertigo includes:

 

BPPV, or benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, occurs when canaliths (tiny calcium particles) build up in the inner ear canals. The inner ear transmits signals about head and body motions relative to gravity to the brain. This helps us maintain balance.

 

BPPV may occur for no apparent reason and can be age-related.

 

Labyrinthitis or vestibular neuritis

 

This inner ear problem often results from a viral infection. The infection leads to inner ear inflammation around vital nerves that help the body gain balance.

 

 Meniere's disease

 

This disorder of the inner ear said to be due to an accumulation of fluid as well as pressure changes in the ear. It can lead to vertigo episodes as well as tinnitus and hearing loss.

Vertigo is less often associated with neck or head injury, brain conditions like tumor or stroke, migraine headaches, and certain medications that result in ear damage.

 

The symptoms of vertigo

 

Vertigo can be considered a single symptom, instead of a medical problem with signs and symptoms.

 

People suffering with vertigo normally feel as they're spinning, tilting, swaying, pulled to a single direction, and unbalanced.

 

Vertigo may be accompanied by other symptoms, including vomiting, feeling nauseated, headache, sweating, jerking or abnormal eye movements (nystagmus), hearing loss or tinnitus. Get more facts about vertigo at http://www.ehow.com/how_8186180_treat-positional-vertigo.html.

 

Symptoms can last a few hours or minutes and may occur and then go away.

 

Treatment for vertigo

 

Your vertigo treatment option depends on the cause of the problem. More often than not, vertigo disappears without any treatment. So, why is this? Well, this is because the brain can adapt, at least partly to the changes in the inner ear, relying on other methods to maintain balance.

 

For some people, treatment is required and can include:

 

Vestibular rehabilitation

 

This kind of physical therapy is meant to strengthen your vestibular system. The vestibular system is responsible for transmitting signals to your brain regarding head and body motions relative to gravity.

 

Medication

 

Sometimes medication can be given to ease symptoms like motion sickness or nausea related to vertigo. For vertigo that results from infection or inflammation, some antibiotics and steroids can be prescribed to minimize swelling as well as treat infection. For those with Meniere's disease, they may be prescribed water pills or diuretics to relieve the pressure resulting from fluid buildup.

 

Surgical procedure

 

A few cases of vertigo may require surgery. If something serious like a neck or brain injury, or tumor is behind the vertigo problem, treating these conditions can help alleviate the condition.