Information on the symptoms of vertigo such as nausea, dizziness, spinning sensations & bad balance

What is Vertigo?

Vertigo may be described as a sensation of spinning, whirling or moving that occurs when a person’s balance is disturbed – it is a perception that you or your surroundings are moving. It is a symptom and not disease. Vertigo is often associated with dizziness, faintness, lightheadedness, unsteadiness and disorientation. If you feel that as though you are moving, it is referred to as subjective vertigo while if your surroundings are moving, it is referred to as objective vertigo. Episodes of vertigo are usually harmless, but if symptoms persist, consult your health practitioner immediately.Symptoms may be constant or episodic and occur from minutes to hours and sometimes persisting for weeks or months.

Types of Vertigo

• Objective Vertigo
• Subjective Vertigo
• Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)
• Migraine-Associated Vertigo
• Meniere's disease
• Inner Ear (Vestibular) Problems

What are the Symptoms of Vertigo?

Symptoms may be constant or episodic and occur from minutes to hours and sometimes persisting for weeks or months.
Common symptoms and signs include:

• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Tinnitus (Ringing in Ears)
• Lightheadedness
• Sweating
• Vomiting
• Balance Problems
• Sensation of motion or disorientation
• Involuntary eye movements
• Weakness of the limbs

What Causes Vertigo?

Vertigo may be caused by the following conditions and these include:

• Inner Ear Fluid Balance
• Meniere’s disease - Following an attack, a period of extreme fatigue or exhaustion often occurs.
• Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo or BPPV occurs as a result of damage caused to the inner ear. It is the most common cause of vertigo and may be accompanied by hearing loss, facial muscle weakness or decreased cognitive function
• Cerebellar hemorrhages which is bleeding to the back of the brain and may be accompanied by vertigo, difficulty walking, headaches and vision impairment
• Acoustic neuroma which is a type of a tumor that causes vertigo and symptoms of hearing loss and one-sided ringing in the ear
• Inflammation or infection of the ear (ear infection)
• Multiple sclerosis
• Head and neck injury or trauma
• Other circumstances that may aggravate vertigo:
  • Menopause
  • Motion Sickness (Flying, Driving, etc.)
  • Altitude Sickness/Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS)
  • Migraines
  • Massages

Help for Vertigo

Treatment of vertigo depends on the cause and severity of attacks. A very common form of treatment is known as vestibular rehabilitation exercises which involve lying down on a table on one side until the vertigo subsides and then switching to the other side until vertigo disappears completely. If vertigo is caused as a result of a bacterial infection of the middle ear, antibiotics may be administered.

More Information on Vertigo

There are some helpful strategies that can be taken to prevent and cope with the symptoms of vertigo. These include:

• Limit salt from your diet as this may help to minimize the amount of build up in the ear
• Exercise regularly to stay active and avoid stress
• Control high blood pressure and high cholesterol
• Practice eye exercises by looking from near to far, up and down or side to side
• Products such as VertiFree™ may also provide help with dizziness, nausea, and symptoms of inner ear imbalance.