To help the brain get a better understanding of the movement and positioning of your body, it takes many different organs communicating with it. Your sense of balance can easily be affected when the signals sent are thrown off. In close relation to your ears, vertigo is a balance disorder that can be properly treated with your ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor. With the help of your medical specialists, you can effectively find the cause and the best solution for treating the underlying issue. We at ENT Specialists would like to elaborate on the basics of vertigo to help patients better understand what is going on and how it is treated.
Even when the room is perfectly still, the sensation of being off-balance is the simplest way to describe vertigo. It is triggered sometimes by head movements or shifting while you’re lying down as it comes in sudden bouts. Resulting in that off-balance sensation, the bouts triggering the spinning, rocking or tilting is because the signals from the inner ear to the brain don’t match with the reality.
Where the primary symptom of vertigo is the off-balance sensation, there are several associated with it as well. Vertigo’s dizziness and a very distinct to light-headedness and a fainting feeling are frequently accompanied by one or multiple symptoms that include:
– Migraine headaches
– Profuse sweating
– Inner ear pressure
– Anxiety or panic attacks
– Your eyes having involuntary movement or twitching
– Physical or emotional exhaustion
– Tinnitus (ringing in your ears) or changes to your hearing
There is a strong indication you have a vertigo problem if you feel one or more of these after the off-balance feeling bouts.
The cause of vertigo can be due to a number of reasons. Suffering a trauma to the head or neck or being on certain medications are a few examples of short-term causes. One of the most cases is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or BPPV. BPPV is the most common and is set in motion when tiny calcium particles in the ear move out of place. The hair cells in the inner ear have these calcium particles stuck to them where compromised hair cells transmit signals to the brain. Another common cause of vertigo is inflammation from infections and non-cancerous tumors in the ear. Also characterized primarily by vertigo is Meniere’s disease, an ear health condition.
Your ear, nose and throat doctor can recommend a wide range of treatments that are dictated to your particular details. The right treatment is prescribed for the underlying cause and seriousness of your vertigo. To help those with Meniere’s disease, often medication can help, whether it’s antibiotics to clear out infections or diuretics. In cases of BPPV or help to retrain the system that conveys your sense of movement and balance, there is a spectrum of movement and exercise programs that shift calcium particles from the hair cells or the inner ear. Surgery may be necessary for some patients to help to drain an infection or to remove a tumor pressing on the inner ear as well. If you suspect that you are combating vertigo, ENT Specialists can help you find cause and the right course of treatment to help you find relief. Call our office today for your appointment.
