When Your World Keeps Spinning: Vertigo Symptoms, Causes, And Treatments

Apr 19, 2018

Vertigo is a scary condition that makes someone feel like they or the entire room is spinning. These dizzy spells can last for a few minutes or several hours. There are many causes of vertigo, but most of them have to do with problems in the middle or inner ear. In some cases, the problem may be caused by the brain. Treatment relies heavily on the cause, but there are many ways you can manage vertigo.
 

Symptoms

Vertigo is described as spinning when you are actually still, but there are several other symptoms that can accompany the spinning sensation.
-Nausea and vomiting
-Loss of hearing
-Ringing in your ears (medically known as tinnitus)
-Feeling like your ears are plugged up
-Headaches
-Dizziness and faintness
-Poor balance
 

Be aware that one cause of vertigo is a stroke, which means you require immediate medical attention. A list of emergency symptoms you need to watch out for is as follows:

-An intense headache
-Loss of vision
-Sudden loss of hearing
-High fever
-Inability to understand or produce speech
-Weakness or tingling on only one side of the body

If you are experiencing vertigo and any of these symptoms, don't hesitate to call 911 immediately.
 

What Are The Causes

The causes of vertigo can be tricky to pin down. Sometimes you can experience vertigo after an intense amusement ride such as a rollercoaster. Here is a list of known medical causes of vertigo:

-Stroke
-Migraines
-Head or neck trauma
-Certain medication, such as high blood pressure medicine or anticonvulsants
-Inflammation of the inner ear (known as labyrinthitis)
-Meniere’s disease (other symptoms include tinnitus, hearing loss, and plugged ears)
-A tumor (located in your brain, ear, or auditory nerve)
-Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)
-Inflammation of the vestibular nerve caused by an infection (known as vestibular neuritis)
 

What Can I Do To Treat Vertigo?

If you only experience vertigo occasionally and mildly like after going to an amusement park, then you probably don't have any severe health problems. However, if your vertigo is frequent enough to interrupt your daily life and interfere with the quality of your life, then you should definitely seek medical attention.

You should also know these handy tips that can help prevent the onset of vertigo:
-Always rise slowly after sitting or laying down
-Sleep with your head elevated
-Don't move too quickly or suddenly throughout your daily routines
-If you feel dizzy, sit immediately to recover and prevent injury from falling
-Bend down with your knees, not your waist, when picking items up
-Practice meditation and try not to get too anxious (anxiety can trigger an episode)
-If you feel an episode coming on, lie down in a quiet, dark room

Do you know anyone else who could benefit from these tips? Show them this article to make sure they know!

Our content is created to the best of our knowledge, yet it is of general nature and cannot in any way substitute an individual consultation with your doctor. Your health is important to us!