Sudden dizzy spells, also known as vertigo, are incredibly jarring. And that’s only exacerbated by the fact that, if you didn’t just hit the booze, the episodes can be extremely difficult to understand. Keep reading to learn what experts have to say about vertigo, including common causes, symptoms, treatments, and when the spinny sensation could signal something more serious.
What is vertigo?
Vertigo happens when you experience “the sensation of movement or of surrounding objects moving when they are not,” explains internist Dr Jared Braunstein. “Patients often feel as if the room is spinning.”
Despite experts’ somewhat vague understanding of it, vertigo is one of the most common health problems for adults, reports Better Health Victoria.
Vertigo symptoms
Rather than a condition, vertigo is usually a symptom of a wider diagnosis, says professor of otolaryngology Dr Neil Bhattacharyya. People can experience other symptoms alongside vertigo, including nausea, vomiting, hearing loss, ringing in ears and trouble walking, Dr Braunstein says.
Other related symptoms include blurry vision, balance impairments, ear fullness, headaches, and light headedness, adds physical therapist Daniel Flaherty.
Vertigo causes
Vertigo can usually be traced to a malfunction of the vestibular system, which helps control your balance and is located in the inner ear, explains Flaherty. “It helps the brain perceive acceleration and head movement,” he adds. The most common causes are:
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)
“The most benign cause of vertigo is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV),” says Braunstein. “This occurs when calcium carbonite crystals in the inner ear [which help maintain balance] are displaced by certain head movements.”
BPPV most often occurs in people ages 50 and older and is most common in women, Flaherty adds.
Vestibulopathy
Vestibulopathy is essentially a malfunction of the vestibular system in one ear, causing the brain to perceive head motion when it’s not moving. Vertigo most often strikes during standing or movement, rather than when sitting or laying down, research shows.
Migraines
Vestibular migraines are marked by dizzy spells or vertigo, along with light-headedness and pain, reports Stanford Medicine.
Inner ear infection
An inner ear infection, or the inflammation of parts of the inner ear, can very easily affect balance and cause vertigo, reports Cleveland Clinic.
Vertigo treatments
Treatment for vertigo is dependent on its cause. A common solution for BPPV is known as the Epley manoeuvre, Flaherty explains, or the professional and strategic repositioning of the head to return inner-ear crystals to their rightful place for restored balance. “In some cases, people can learn to safely do these movements at home,” Flaherty adds.
A vestibulopathy, on the other hand, is treated with vestibular rehab that helps the brain to recognise that it is receiving a faulty signal, Flaherty says. In general, medications like antihistamines are used to help with dizziness and nausea, and antibiotics can be prescribed for bacterial inner ear infections, Braunstein says.
When to see a doctor about vertigo
“Vertigo can be a sign of something more serious like tumors or acoustic neuroma, multiple sclerosis, head trauma, or Meniere’s disease (fluid build-up in the inner ear),” says Dr Braunstein. These should be evaluated by a neurologist or ear, nose, and throat specialist, he advises.
Flaherty recommends seeing a doctor if you experience any of the below symptoms along with vertigo:
- Hearing loss
- Vision loss
- Facial drooping
- Speech dysfunction
- A loss of consciousness
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pains
- Head injury
- Seizures
“Vertigo can lead to falls, accidents, and a decreased quality of life,” Flaherty warns. “You should talk with your doctor if you experience symptoms consistent with vertigo.”
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