WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT... vertigo?

Vertigo is more than just feeling dizzy. It feels as though the world is spinning around you.

“Perhaps you also feel off-balance, nauseated and have other symptoms such as a feeling of fullness in your ears, or tinnitus. Vertigo is not a disease – it’s a very difficult and unpleasant symptom, which needs further Investigation,” says Dr Lee.

Common causes are labyrinthitis, Meniere’s disease and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).

Labyrinthitis is caused by an infection of the middle ear. Meniere’s disease may have a genetic, or an auto-immune, cause or may be due to constricted blood vessels in the middle ear. BPPV occurs when tiny calcium crystals become dislodged and move around inside the inner ear.

“Treating vertigo includes antihistamines, such as meclizine, used for travel sickness. Anti-sickness and anti-anxiety medications are also sometimes used,” adds Dr Lee.

During an attack, try lying in a dark room, only move your head slowly and raise your head on two pillows.