Do you experience a spinning sensation when you move? When you stand up or move around abruptly, does it feel as if the room is tilting? Have you suffered a fall because you suddenly felt imbalanced? These continuous sensations of dizziness are often accompanied by symptoms related to motion sickness, including nausea and vomiting.
If you’ve encountered any of these predicaments, you may be experiencing vertigo. Read on to learn about the causes of vertigo and how these symptoms can be relieved.
What causes people to experience vertigo? Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BBPV), Meniere’s disease, and vestibular neuritis are some of the most common medical issues known to cause vertigo. A stroke, migraine, tumor, or head injury can also cause people to experience vertigo.
Is there a certain age group prone to vertigo? Most of the root causes of vertigo are typically seen in adults. The older you are the more likely you are to have BBPV, which is the number one reason patients have vertigo. Children may still encounter medical issues which cause vertigo, but typically older age groups are the most affected.
What are the treatment options for vertigo? There are several different treatment options for vertigo based on the underlying cause. Vertigo that is due to BBPV has one of the simplest treatment options. A physical therapist is able to guide patients through a series of maneuvers, which will address the root cause of BBPV, thereby alleviating the vertigo. Vestibular therapy may be able to help patients whose vertigo is caused by Meniere’s disease. Antibiotics and/or steroids can be used to treat vestibular neuritis, which is most often caused by a viral infection. Though it is rare, if vertigo is due to a brain tumor or serious injury to the head, surgery may be able to treat the issue and get rid of the vertigo. In some cases, vertigo may go away without treatment after some time has passed.
Will vertigo reoccur after treatment? Depending on what the underlying cause of a patient’s vertigo is, there may be a reoccurrence of symptoms. In most patients whose vertigo returns, symptoms are less severe than they were originally. Physical therapy treatment can easily be re-administered to effectively get rid of the vertigo.
The best way to find out why you have been having trouble balancing, or feeling dizzy is to consult with a medical professional. Your primary care physician will be able to pinpoint the medical problem causing you to experience vertigo. If BBPV or Meniere’s disease is causing your symptoms, your doctor will be able to prescribe physical therapy, which can help to combat symptoms of vertigo.