In reality, only the expression dizziness describes what doctors say is vertigo. Learn all about this condition.
There are several words used to describe this false sensation of moving or spinning including light headedness, dizziness, a spaced out feeling, faintness and weakness. But in reality only the expression dizziness describes what doctors call vertigo. When a person experiences vertigo they will feel as if everything is moving or spinning. Objects around them will appear to be spinning or moving as well. This condition can last for moments or in some cases it may continue for hours or days. In some cases this feeling may go away when a person is lying down but in others the vertigo will continue even when the person is motionless.
The organs that control equilibrium are located in the inner ear. These organs sense position and control balance in the body through nerve connections to specific areas of the brain or within the brain itself. When the semi-circular canals in the inner ear or the nerve tracts leading from them are disturbed a person will experience the condition called vertigo. This condition comes on suddenly and can be experienced by a perfectly healthy person during activities such as riding amusement park rides, sailing, watching a movie, riding in a car or looking down from great heights. In most cases the cause of this type of vertigo is a sensitivity of the inner ear to certain motions such as swaying or sudden starts and stops. Vertigo can also be related to vision problems or sudden changes in blood pressure.
There are many different conditions that can cause vertigo by affecting the inner ear such as bacterial virus infections, nerve inflammation, toxic substances, tumors and abnormal pressures. Other common causes would include environmental conditions such as motion sickness, drugs such as alcohol or gentamicin, circulatory problems such as transient ischemic attacks, abnormalities of the ear such as calcium deposits, bacterial infections, herpes zoster, labyrinthitis, inflamed vestibular nerve or Meniere's disease and neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis, skull fractures, brain tumors and a tumor that compresses the vestibular nerve. Symptoms of vertigo may include dizzy spells, nausea, vomiting, double vision, slurred speech, uncoordinated movements, weakness in an arm or leg, headaches, ringing in the ears, unsteadiness, jerky eye movements and fainting.
Prior to treating the dizziness a doctor must determine first the nature of the condition and then the cause. In most cases this is done by asking detailed questions concerning the symptoms. The eye movement will be checked for any possible dysfunction and laboratory test will be run. Often the hearing is checked to test for ear disorders and if an infection is suspected a sample of fluid may be removed from the ear, sinus or spine. In some cases the blood pressure and nervous system will be checked. With severe cases a doctor may have a CT scanning of the brain performed. Treatments for vertigo will depend on the cause of the condition. There are many drugs that will relieve a mild case of vertigo including perphenazine, scopolamine, meclizine and dimenhydrinate. Of these scopolamine, which can be applied as a skin patch that will continue working for several days, is the best for preventing motion sickness.
