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Is There a Visual Aide for Vertigo?

Many balance and neurological disorders cause vertigo. Dizziness, swaying and spinning are symptoms of vertigo. Visual aids can be used to ease symptoms of vertigo. Repeated sensations of vertigo are serious and require medical attention.

  1. Signs of Vertigo

    • Individuals who feel as if they are spinning or swaying when they are actually stationary suffer from vertigo. Severe vertigo can cause nausea and vomiting. The fear of heights is called acrophobia, not vertigo. But acrophobia's accompanying dizziness and general unease are also symptoms of vertigo.

    Common Causes of Vertigo

    • Peripheral vertigo is very serious and is most often associated with inner ear inflammation. Vertigo is one of the symptoms of Meniere's Disease, along with ringing in the ear and hearing loss. Decreased flow of blood to the base of the brain will result in symptoms of vertigo.

    Visual Aids

    • Vestibular exercises are used to train the brain to accept other visual clues when experiencing vertigo, in order to maintain balance and the ability to walk. Training with these exercises should be conducted by a physician. The head of a patient, who is upright, is held firmly at a 45-degree angle as the patient quickly lies back on a table. The head rests at a position slightly lower than the table for 30 seconds, before the patient returns to an upright position.

    Training

    • Proper visual treatment of a patient with severe vertigo will require assistance from a close relative or spouse. A physician or licensed professional can train the assistant in this technique on an outpatient basis.

    Visual Aid for Visual Vertigo

    • People who have visual vertigo suffer dizziness from the movement of large objects in large spaces, such as a crowded store or the clouds in the sky. Refocusing the attention on a small object nearby will alleviate this symptom.

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