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MAV & Inner Ear Symptoms

Migraine Associated Vertigo, or MAV, is a migraine headache coupled with vertigo and dizziness. In medical practices focused on migraines, 27 to 42 percent of patients report instances of MAV. The condition usually starts with a migraine and vertigo occurs along with the migraine episode.

  1. Damage

    • MAV is not inner-ear related in its origin, but it can cause damage to the inner ear. Ear dysfunction due to MAV is usually episodic. MAV causes inner ear problems such as dizziness, motion sickness, sensitivity to light and sound, tinnitus, imbalance and spatial disorientation. It can damage the vestibular system in the ear.

    Vestibular System

    • The vestibular system is located in the brain and inner ear and allows you to stand upright, maintain balance and move through space. It also coordinates organs in the inner ear, eyes, muscles, joints, fingertips, palms, the soles of feet, jaw and gravity receptors on the skin. It adjusts heart rate and blood pressure, muscle tone, limb position, immune responses and arousal. Depending on what part is damaged by MAV you will lose some of these capabilities while the episode occurs.

    Official Symptoms

    • Researchers have four major diagnostic criteria to show if MAV is occurring. The first is an episodic vestibular symptom that is considered at least moderate . These could be rotational vertigo, other illusory self or object motion, positional vertigo or head motion intolerance.)

      Secondly, your migraine must match up with the International Headache Society's criteria. Third, you should have one of the following symptoms included with your episode; a migrainous headache, photophobia, phonophobia, visual or other auras. Fourth, you must have all other illnesses ruled out that would better describe your condition.

    Treatment

    • Physicians encourage patients to avoid food triggers, and give prophylactic treatment as remedies for MAV. Patients should avoid chocolate, cheese, alcohol, and anything comtaining MSG. If these measures do not work, patients receive verapamil or a long-acting beta-blocker, such as long-acting propranolol or a tricyclic medication such as amitriptyline.

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