THAT DIZZY feeling

WHAT IS THE ANSWER TO YOUR VERTIGO WOES?

Ever got off a fairground ride only to feel like you are still spinning? This is what having vertigo can feel like and it can be extremely debilitating. Rather than being a medical condition, it is a single symptom and can be a sign of certain conditions.

HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU’VE GOT VERTIGO?

Symptoms include feeling like you are spinning and swaying. It may seem as if the world has tilted, making it tricky for you to keep your balance. You might also feel as if you are being pulled in one direction.

Other symptoms can include: • Nausea and vomiting • Headache

• Sweating

• Abnormal or jerking eye movements

• Ringing in the ears or hearing loss Symptoms can last from a few minutes to a few hours or longer, and can come and go. In severe cases of vertigo, standing up and moving can become very difficult, so you can feel very incapacitated.

WHAT CAUSES IT?

Vertigo is often due to a problem with the inner ear, which controls balance. Common causes are:

• BPPV, or benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, is caused by a disturbance to otolith particles – the tiny crystals in the inner ear fluid that stimulate the nerves to send messages to the brain about the position of the body. If these particles are dislodged, they can disrupt this process, making the body sensitive to changes in position and dizzy as a result. BPPV usually affects older people and is twice as common in women as men. Often there is no known cause, but it can be due to a head injury, reduced blood flow to certain parts of the brain, ear surgery or prolonged bed rest.

• Meniere’s disease is a disorder of the inner ear thought to be caused by a build-up of fluid and changing pressure in the ear. As well as dizziness, it can cause hearing loss and ringing in the ears (tinnitus).

• Labyrinthitis is an inner problem usually related to an infection which causes nerves needed for balance to become inflamed, making it harder to achieve a sense of balance. Other causes include:

• A head or neck injury • Migraines

• Medications that can damage the ear

• Brain problems such as a stroke or tumour

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Treatment depends on what is causing your vertigo. In many cases, the feelings of extreme dizziness can go away on their own without treatment, thanks to your brain being able to adapt to the changes in your inner ear by drawing on other skills to maintain balance.

Types of treatment include:

• Vestibular rehabilition, a type of physical therapy that helps improve the vestibular system, which sends messages to the brain about head and body movement. It helps to train your other senses to compensate for having vertigo.

• Canalith repositioning involves movements that remove the crystal deposits from your ear canal, so they can no longer disrupt your balance. A doctor or physical therapist can help.

• Medication can help with symptoms like nausea, while antibiotics can be useful if your vertigo appears to be due to inflammation. Diuretics may be prescribed if you have Meniere’s disease, in which a fluid build-up can cause pressure.

• Surgery. In some cases, an operation may be an option. SEEK URGENT MEDICAL HELP IF YOUR FEELINGS OF DIZZINESS ARE ACCOMPANIED BY:

• A fever

• Double vision

• Loss of vision

• Hearing loss

• Difficulty speaking

• Weakness in arms or legs • Numbness or tingling in your arms or legs

• Problems walking

• Loss of consciousness

These may be signs of a more serious medical condition.