Vertigo Problems

According to the National Institute of Health, 40 percent of adults, mostly women, experience vertigo at least one time in their lives. Vertigo is dizziness combined with the feeling that your surroundings are in motion. There are two types of vertigo--each with many different causes. Treatment for vertigo depends upon the cause.

What is Vertigo?

• If you feel dizzy, then you may be suffering from vertigo. According to the Neurology Channel, vertigo is caused from a disorder of the vestibular system. The vestibular system consists of the parts of the ear that control balance, the brain stem and the cerebellum. Vertigo is not a disease but is instead a symptom of another condition. There are two types of vertigo--peripheral vertigo and central vertigo. Peripheral vertigo occurs when there is a problem with the parts of the ear that control balance. Central vertigo occurs when there is an underlying condition involving the brain stem or cerebellum.

Causes of Vertigo

• Peripheral vertigo is related to problems of the ear or vestibular nerve. When the problem is related to the inner ear, it may be caused by benign positional vertigo, certain antibiotics such as streptomycin or gentamicin, or labyrinthitis or Meniere's Disease. When the problem is related to the vestibular nerve, the vertigo could be caused from inflammation or compression of the nerve.

  Central vertigo is caused from problems in the brain stem or cerebellum. The causes of central vertigo range from blood vessel disease; medications including anticonvulsants or antihypertensives, and aspirin; alcohol use; migraine headaches; orthostatic hypotension; head trauma; multiple sclerosis; and seizures. Sometimes the vertigo is caused by anxiety.

  Sometimes the cause of the vertigo is unknown.

Symptoms of Vertigo

• Symptoms of vertigo includes dizziness, nausea, vomiting and the feeling that your surroundings are always in motion. Other symptoms include blurred vision, fatigue, weakness, hearing loss and slurred speech. Many of the symptoms can come and go lasting from a few minutes to a few days.

Diagnosing Vertigo

• It is very important that your doctor finds out, if possible, the cause of the vertigo. This will help to diagnose any serious underlying medical conditions. Your doctor will give you a thorough examination including asking several questions about your symptoms.

  One test your doctor will perform is called the positional vertigo exam, which will determine if your vertigo is related to peripheral or a central disorder. In this test your doctor will have you slowly lie back on the table and will examine your eyes as your head is turned side to side.

  Your doctor may perform several tests on you to determine the cause of your vertigo. These tests may range from a standard blood analysis up to a complete blood count (CBC) , computed tomography (CT scan) of the head, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or an electronystagmography (ENG).

Treatments for Vertigo

• The ideal treatment of vertigo involves eliminating the cause. Treatment should be aimed at reducing the cause. If a particular medication is causing the vertigo for example, another medication may be prescribed instead.

  The ideal treatment for benign positional vertigo, according to the American Academy of Neurology is a positioning technique that realigns the crystals in the ear through a series of head movements guided by a medical professional.

  Other treatments include medications such as antihistamines like meclizine; anticholinergics such as scopolamine; benzodiazepines such as diazepam; and medications to treat the nausea and vomiting like promethazine.