Vertigo is a spinning sensation or a feeling that your surroundings are moving even when they’re perfectly still. Vertigo often presents with dizziness, lightheadedness, or feelings of disorientation. It is often caused by problems in the inner ear, & sometimes, problems in the brain. The most common type of vertigo that people experience is Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo.
These calcium crystals, also called otoliths, are motion-sensitive, thus they cause problems with the balance & orientation of the body. Vertigo treatment also depends on the exact cause of your vertigo, your medical history, & a general overview of your symptoms. An accurate vertigo diagnosis is the first step towards effective Vertigo treatment. Your doctor may give you certain medications & treatment procedures to help relieve some common symptoms of Vertigo. These include medicines for dizziness, vertigo, nausea, motion sickness, etc.
In most cases, Vertigo resolves on its own, without any need for medical intervention. In situations where it doesn’t happen, patients might need to seek specialized vertigo treatment. Depending on your exact diagnosis & medical history, your doctor will determine a specified vertigo treatment plan for you. For effective Vertigo treatment & resolution of symptoms, you must stick to the plan your doctor has recommended to you.
Vertigo symptoms:
Vertigo symptoms vary across all patients, and every individual might also present with different symptoms. However, there are certain vertigo symptoms that are common across almost all vertigo patients.
These vertigo symptoms include:
- Disorientation, or a feeling that you’re off-balance
- A feeling that you’re spinning/swaying
- A feeling of pressure or fullness in the ear,
- Difficulty in walking
- Headache
- Ringing, buzzing, our whooshing in the ear, also known as tinnitus
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Motion sickness
- Hearing loss
- Nystagmus or abnormal eye movements
Vertigo causes:
Vertigo causes include inner ear issues, infections, injuries to the head, neck, or the ear, inflammation of the vestibular nerve, & certain vestibular disorders. These include Meniere’s Disease, labyrinthitis, vestibular neuritis, & some central nervous system disorders. In some cases, a problem with the brain or the central nervous system is the reason for your vertigo symptoms.
Dizziness could also be the side-effect of some prescription medications that you’re taking, or a side effect of some surgery in the inner ear region. Certain central nervous system disorders like Multiple Sclerosis & brain stem issues may also cause vertigo. In some cases, a stroke or a mini-stroke may also give rise to consistent, recurrent vertigo attacks.
It’s mandatory to accurately diagnose your condition & figure out the exact cause of your vertigo symptoms, to facilitate early, effective, & long-lasting vertigo treatment.
In certain cases, the exact cause of your vertigo symptoms is undeterminable. In these cases, vertigo treatment depends on the severity, intensity, & frequency of your symptoms, along with your recent medical history.
Vertigo treatment:
Vertigo treatment depends on the exact causes of your vertigo, & your recent medical history. As said elsewhere in this article, most vertigo cases seem to resolve on their own without any need for medical intervention. This usually happens as the brain is able to adapt to the loss of the natural vestibular system & make up for it with other senses. For cases that don’t resolve on their own, there are a variety of vertigo treatment options available.
Depending on the exact diagnosis, causes of Dizziness, & the history of your symptoms, a specific vertigo treatment is recommended to you.
These vertigo treatment procedures include:
- Physical therapies &/or vestibular rehabilitation therapy: Vestibular Rehabilitation therapy refers to a specific set of exercises that help the body make up for the loss in the natural balance.
These exercises can include long walking, yoga, meditation, & some particular movements that help train the body to compensate for the losses in the natural vestibular system. - Canalith Repositioning manoeuvres: These are specific vertigo exercises that help move the displaced calcium crystals in the semicircular canal back to their original position. These manoeuvres are only helpful for patients experiencing BPPV, or other types of peripheral vertigo. Canalith repositioning manoeuvres include the well-known & world-famous Epley Maneuver, the Brandt-Daroff manoeuvre, the semont manoeuvre, the foster manoeuvre, & the half somersault manoeuvre. These exercises are very helpful in vertigo treatment & have been known to show great results in patients.
- Vertigo medicines: Aside from exercises, your doctor may also prescribe certain vertigo medications to you as part of your vertigo treatment. Depending on your specific symptoms, your doctor will give you medications. If an inner ear infection like Meniere’s Disease, Vestibular Neuritis, or an ear infection is the cause of your vertigo symptoms, then your doctor will give you medications to treat the underlying condition.
The type of vertigo medicines your doctor might prescribe will include:
- Antihistamines: Antihistamines are really successful in vertigo treatment. These vertigo medicines include Antivert, also known as meclizine tablet, & Phenergan (promethazine) that help treat nausea, vomiting, & motion sickness that often accompany vertigo. Antihistamines are usually considered the best course of vertigo treatment, & are the initial medicines for dizziness & vertigo that your doctor will prescribe to you. Antihistamines on a whole don’t have many side effects, although they can cause drowsiness in patients.
- Benzodiazepines: These include vertigo medicines like valium (diazepam), or Ativan(lorazepam), & are often prescribed to treat vertigo symptoms caused by inner ear disorders like Meniere’s Disease, labyrinthitis, migraine-associated vertigo, or vestibular neuronitis. These vertigo medicines help treat vertigo by suppressing the vestibular system. These are generally given in small doses to avoid the dangers of addiction, & the side effects of drowsiness.
- Diuretics: Diuretics, also known as water pills, are given for vertigo treatment in patients whose vertigo symptoms are brought on by Meniere’s Disease, Vestibular Neuritis, & other inner ear disorders. These vertigo medicines help by reducing the amount of water inside the ear canal & relieving vertigo symptoms.
Additionally, Meniere’s Disease patients may also be prescribed corticosteroids like decadron, also known as dexamethasone, or oral prednisone to reduce the intensity & severity of vertigo symptoms.
In addition to these, there are other vertigo medicines including Vertin tablets, Stemetil tablets, & Stugeron Forte tablets, that are recommended for Dizziness treatment.