- VERTIGO and an explanation of what it is
Vertigo is a condition in which a person has the sensation that they are moving, or that objects around them are moving, when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. It may be associated with nausea, vomiting, perspiration, or difficulties walking. It is typically worse when the head is moved. Vertigo is the most common type of dizziness
Causes of Vertigo and How It Is Treated
Vertigo is the sensation that you are spinning or the world around you is spinning. The condition may be mild and barely noticeable or so severe that you are unable to keep your balance and feel like you’re going to vomit.
Vertigo may be due to problems with the inner ear or parts of the central nervous system. Examples include benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and Ménière’s disease, both of which involve the inner ear, and brain tumors and migraines, which involve the brain. Some causes resolve on their own over time, while others can be managed with medications like antihistamines and steroids.
Vertigo Symptoms
Vertigo differs from dizziness in that dizziness encompasses a variety of sensations ranging from lightheadedness and fainting to unsteadiness and wooziness. Vertigo implies a spinning sensation, either with you at the center of the spinning or the world spinning around you.
In addition to a spinning sensation, vertigo can also cause:1
- A feeling of swaying, tilting, or being pulled in one direction
- A loss of balance
- Difficulty standing or walking steadily
- Nausea or vomiting
Depending on the underlying cause, you might also experience symptoms like
Ringing in the ear (tinnitus )
Muffled hearing or ear fullness
Unusual eye movements (nystagmus)
- Blurred vision
- Difficulty speaking or slurred speech
- Altered consciousness
- Sensitivity to light or sound
- Headache
- Hearing loss
- Ear pain
The spinning episodes can last anywhere from a few seconds to several hours, depending on what is causing your vertigo.
Peripheral Vertigo
There are two types of vertigo, differentiated by the parts of the body in which the symptoms originate. The first and most common type is peripheral vertigo.
Peripheral vertigo occurs when parts of the inner ear malfunction. Central to this is the vestibular system, composed of the semicircular canals and labyrinth of the inner ear and the vestibular nerve which transmit sensory information from the inner ear to the brain.
The function of the vestibular system is to provide a sense of balance and enable proprioception
(an awareness of our body’s position in space) so that you can navigate and move around. Metaphorically, it functions as a three-dimensional GPS in our brains.
There are a variety of conditions that can affect the inner ear and vestibular system:
Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is believed to be caused by calcium debris within the inner ear. It tends to cause spinning episodes that last for seconds rather than minutes.
Typically, a person with BPPV will describe a brief spinning sensation when moving their head in certain ways (such as tilting the head to the sky). Nausea may also be present, but rarely vomiting.
Vestibular Labyrinthitis
Vestibular labyrinthitis, also known as vestibular neuronitis, is caused by inflammation of the vestibulocochlear
nerve after an infection, most commonly an upper respiratory infection.
The vestibulocochlear nerve is comprised of the vestibular nerve which regulates balance and the cochlear nerve which regulates hearing.
Inflammation of the vestibulocochlear nerve can cause sudden, severe vertigo accompanied by nausea or vomiting and unsteadiness. The episodes can last for seconds to minutes. Because the cochlear nerve is affected, there may also be hearing loss.
Ménière’s Disease
Ménière’s disease is a condition that causes the abnormal buildup of fluid in the inner ear. The cause of the condition is unknown, but it typically affects one ear initially. Over time, both ears may be impacted.
Ménière’s disease is associated with episodes of severe vertigo that can last for minutes to hours. In addition to nausea, vomiting, and imbalance, there may be one-sided tinnitus, hearing loss, and ear fullness.
Less Common Causes
Several other, less common conditions can cause peripheral vertigo. These include:
- Otosclerosis
This is the abnormal growth of tissue in the middle ear that can move to the inner ear, triggering tinnitus and vertigo.
Otitis media
This is a middle ear infection that can cause inflammation of the inner ear and change inner ear pressure.
Labyrinthine
concussion: This is the injury of the labyrinth due to a blow to the head.1
Perilymphatic fistula
- : This is an abnormal opening in the membranes separating the air-filled middle ear from the fluid-filled inner ear. Vertigo is caused by changes in inner ear pressure.7
- Ramsay Hunt syndrome: This condition occurs when the herpes zoster virus (shingles) affects the facial nerve. If the vestibular nerve is involved, vertigo can occur.8
Central Vertigo
Central vertigo involves the central nervous system, consisting of your brain and spinal cord.
It is less common than peripheral vertigo and mainly involves two parts of the brain called the brainstem (which regulates balance, coordination, and reflexes) and the cerebellum
(which is responsible for muscle control, including balance and movement).
Vestibular Migraine
Vestibular migraine refers to vertigo that occurs as a result of a migraine. In addition to vertigo and headache, nausea and sensitivity to light or sound may occur.
Vestibular migraines can develop spontaneously but may also be triggered by stress, sleep problems, hunger, dehydration, and illness.
Stroke
A stroke, especially in the brainstem or cerebellum, can cause vertigo. A brainstem stroke may also cause double vision and slurred speech. A cerebellum stroke can affect walking, speaking, chewing, hearing, and vision.
Vestibular Schwannoma
Vestibular schwannoma, also called acoustic neuroma, is a benign (noncancerous) tumor that develops on the vestibulocochlear nerve. In addition to vertigo, tinnitus and hearing loss may occur.
Because this type of tumor is slow-growing, the vertigo may be subtle, often described as a vague feeling of swaying, tilting, or imbalance.
Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease in which a person’s immune system attacks the protective coating of nerves in the brain, causing them to misfire. If the autoimmune damage occurs in certain parts of the brainstem or cerebellum, vertigo can regularly occur.
Epileptic Vertigo
Epileptic vertigo refers to vertigo caused by an epileptic seizure. A seizure is the result of abnormal, excessive, and repetitive electrical discharges in brain cells called neurons.
Epileptic vertigo, also known as vestibular epilepsy, affects the temporal lobe, which receives information from the ears, and the parietal association cortex, which aids in spatial recognition from the eyes.
ARE YOU AWARE BOWEN THERAPY HAS GREAT RESULTS WITH VERTIGO_ if you have this condition and would like to discuss this with us, please contact us on 0416494476