Vertigo in Children

Vertigo is an uncomfortable experience for anyone; for children, the experience can be disconcerting and frightening. Pediatric vertigo stems from two sources: it is either a benign positional vertigo caused by a fear of heights; extreme or out of place vertigo in children, however, is a sign of a disease or condition that will need to be examined by a doctor. Addressing a child's concerns of vertigo, dizziness or nausea will help them deal with the sensation of vertigo and find out what the underlying cause could be.

Identification

• A child who experiences vertigo due to a strange or unusual position such as hanging upside down or being up too high will exhibit signs of dizziness, nausea and occasionally panic. This type of vertigo can be dealt with simply by changing position: coming down from heights and resting are the best cure for benign vertigo.

  Children who show signs of extreme vertigo in situations where vertigo would be unexpected have an unidentified condition or disorder requiring medical treatment. Any child who experiences vertigo in everyday situations will need to have the condition assessed by a health care professional.

Effects

• While vertigo itself is not a disease, it is a serious condition that needs to be treated properly; vertigo (not caused by fear of heights) in children is a sign of another disease or condition and not an isolated syndrome in itself. Vertigo can cause a child to suffer from poor hand-eye coordination, slower development in physical activities like riding a bike, feeling dizzy or nauseous and experiencing ringing in their ears (tinnitus). Other signs of vertigo include imbalance or difficulty when walking, complaints of spinning or rotating sensations, clumsiness or hearing loss.

Significance

• A child who experiences extreme vertigo will need to be seen by a doctor or health care specialist; childhood vertigo can be an indicator of any of several diseases or conditions that will require treatment, medication or therapy.

  Causes of pediatric vertigo include head or neck injury, drug or alcohol abuse by the mother during the pregnancy, immune deficiency disorders, neurological disorders such as cerebral palsy, brain tumors, hearing loss or vestibular disorders.

Prevention/Solution

• For a child experiencing vertigo, the treatment depends heavily on the child's age and the underlying cause of the vertigo. Children who have more serious disorders will undergo medicinal and physical therapy and in some cases major surgery, whereas a child whose vertigo is caused by an injury may only need to undergo physical therapy. Certain exercises can be used to teach a child how to orient themselves in response to the experience of vertigo and so deal with the effects in a constructive way.

Considerations

• Any child who exhibits signs of extreme vertigo in a situation where vertigo would be unexpected should be taken to see a doctor. An MRI or CT scan can be helpful in determining the cause of the vertigo and what steps need to be taken in order to treat both the vertigo and its underlying cause. As extreme vertigo can have far-reaching consequences on a child's development, including loss of hearing or problems developing spatial coordination, any child showing signs of vertigo should be seen by a doctor.