Have you ever had that feeling of sudden dizziness, like the world around you is spinning? It’s similar to a head rush, but a bit worse. The spinning sensation can be so bad that you may need to hold on to something to keep from falling down. When this happens, you are most likely experiencing spinning.
Vertigo is the false sensation of movement, and it often has a rotational feeling. It can go on for as little as a few minutes or as long as a few days. The condition can turn life-threatening when an attack happens while a person is driving or carrying out a task that would be negatively affected by a sudden fall.
There is a lot more that goes on during an individual’s vertigo episode. The dizziness is constant, but a person may experience nausea and vomiting, double vision, and headaches. Worse cases include ringing in the ears or hearing loss, heart palpitations, and involuntary eye movements.
According to statistics compiled by the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, dizziness and spinning are one of the primary reasons for emergency room visits among the elderly. But there are other health problems linked to this symptom, which we’ll discuss in this article.
If you live in San Diego County and are looking for an Escondido vertigo clinic near you, keep reading to find out how Rickards Chiropractic can help you find relief!
Health Conditions Linked to Vertigo
Vertigo is associated with issues with the the inner ear or the central nervous system, including the brain and brainstem. But it is also commonly linked to six health conditions:
Vestibular Neuritis
The inflammation of the vestibular nerve causes vestibular neuritis. This nerve helps with the body’s sense of balance, and can also be responsible for dizziness and vertigo.
People who suffer from vestibular neuritis also experience hearing loss, which can be debilitating. The spinning attacks brought on by this condition may last at least an entire day.
But those who receive the right amount of care can make a full recovery. According to the Cleveland Clinic, 95% of patients recover from vestibular neuritis after undergoing relief options presented to them.
Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)
It may be quite a mouthful to say, but Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo is not as complicated as its name. A person with BPPV has calcium crystals that have traveled into the wrong area of the inner ear.
A sudden shift in head position causes a sensation of motion in the inner ear canals. The brain receives mismatched signals due to the calcium crystals being where they don’t belong, and spinning is the result.
BPPV attacks can happen at any given moment, but people who’ve had head trauma are more likely to experience it.
Meniere’s Disease
Meniere’s Disease is a rare disorder among vertigo patients, but older adults aged 40 to 60 years are most affected. This condition stems from fluid build-up and the change of pressure in the inner ear.
People who have Meniere’s experience ringing in the ears, nausea, and vomiting. Worse cases include hearing loss.
Labyrinthitis
Labyrinthitis is a condition caused by a viral infection affecting the labyrinth, the system of loopy tubes and sacs in the inner ear. It triggers a vertigo episode, accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and the feeling of being off balance.
People going through this condition may have a feeling of fullness in the ear, tinnitus, and balance issues.
Vestibular Migraines
Migraines are often rooted in neurological issues, which can also cause dizziness and vertigo. While the root cause of migraines has yet to be determined, experts point to the trigeminal nerve that leads to nystagmus, or involuntary eye movements.
This condition is gender-related, and women are more susceptible to it than men.
Head or Brain Injuries
When a traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs, sensory organs in the inner ear can have a significant amount of damage. As a result, the afflicted individual can experience vertigo.
About 30% to 65% of people with TBI also suffer from dizziness and disequilibrium. During such episodes, they are unable to balance themselves properly while sitting or standing.
Triggers for Vertigo Episodes
Certain conditions and situations trigger vertigo attacks. Knowing what some of them are could help you reduce the frequency of your vertigo attacks.
Wrong head position: Having a sudden change in head position can easily lead to vertigo. This trigger specifically applies to people who suffer from BPPV. People with BPPV should change head positions slowly or in stages, such as when rolling over in bed or picking something up from the floor.
Motion Sickness: Vertigo from motion sickness mostly happens while at sea. You will likely feel this during a long boat ride or when the water is rough. That rocking sensation while aboard a vessel for a long time may linger for hours once you are back on land, but it will subside eventually.
Dehydration: Dehydration can cause dizziness and vertigo. Be sure to keep yourself hydrated throughout the day to avoid such instances.
Side effects from medication: Vertigo is one of the known side effects of certain drugs, especially when taken in high doses. The safest bet is to take strong medications at a lower dosage, then gradually increase. Consult your doctor before changing how much of your medication you are taking.
Migraines with aura: People afflicted with migraines with aura also see flashing lights and zigzagging lines. They are at a higher risk of experiencing vertigo.
Stress: When there is either a sudden spike or a radical decrease in stress levels, the person experiencing it may also experience vertigo.
Foods high in sugar or salt: An increased amount of sodium in the body may cause a build-up of pressure in the inner ear due to fluid retention. Likewise, sugary foods may lead to vertigo because of their direct effect on blood sugar levels.
Anxiety: People who experience anxiety attacks also feel that spinning sensation of vertigo. Especially when an attack is intense, a person may also feel dizzy, nauseated, and light-headed.
Sinus infections: There is such a thing called sinus-induced vertigo. It can range from mild to severe cases, which include symptoms like nausea, light-headedness, and fatigue.
Prolonged bed rest: Being stuck in a bed and being immobile for a few days decreases both the volume of blood in the body and the oxygen uptake by the brain. Both cases may lead to a sudden vertigo attack.
A Natural Relief Option
When dealing with vertigo, a natural relief option is still the ideal way to go. Upper cervical chiropractic care is one way to go about it, which we provide here at Rickards Chiropractic.
Visit our Escondido vertigo clinic and experience for yourself the gentle and precise adjustment techniques that we use to help our vertigo patients.
Call today to book an appointment and set yourself on the road to relief from your vertigo.
Consultation call to action:
To schedule a consultation with Dr. Rickards, call our Escondido office at (760) 274-0564. You can also click the button below.
If you are outside of the local area, you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.