Understanding Vertigo: Causes, symptoms and treatment options

Certain ailments are not fatal, but they are incurable. To manage unprecedented medical contingencies better, it is best to maintain a befitting health insurance beforehand. Zurich Kotak General Insurance is a friendly solution in this regard.

This article will focus on a nagging ailment called vertigo.

What is vertigo?

Vertigo is an ailment that makes you feel dizzy creating a sensation that your surroundings are spinning in circles. It readily makes you off-balance. Vertigo is more of a symptom than a health issue in itself, but it can even occur with certain other symptoms.

It may develop due to certain inner ear complications, stroke, or any issue affecting your brain.

Vertigo treatments may vary depending on the circumstances and the severity of the patient concerned. It includes medication, therapies, repositioning manoeuvres, or even surgery for more serious conditions.

Vertigo symptoms

If you are experiencing a vertigo attack, some of the other common symptoms that you may experience include:

1. Vomiting and nausea

2. Balancing issues

3. Dizziness

4. Loss of hearing in one or both ears

5. Ringing in your ears

6. Headaches

7. Motion sickness

8. A strange feeling of fullness in your ears

9. Nystagmus is a strange condition that causes your eyes to move uncontrollably and rapidly from one side to another.

Triggers and effects of vertigo

The causes of vertigo may vary from one person to another. Some of the probable causes include:

1. Migraine headaches

2. Using certain medications like certain types of antibiotics, cardiovascular drugs, or anti-inflammatories

3. Stroke

4. Arrhythmia

5. Diabetes

6. Head injuries and trauma

7. Prolonged bed rest

8. Shingles within or near the ear

9. Ear surgery

10. Inner ear fluid leakage to the middle ear

11. Rapid breathing

12. Low blood pressure

13. Severe muscle weakness or ataxia

14. Syphilis

15. Any bone growth affecting your middle ear

16. Any brain issues

17. Multiple sclerosis

18. Acoustic neuroma.

Vertigo treatment methods

Treating vertigo first induces a thorough physical examination by the doctor and asking several relevant questions to clarify your health condition. They may prescribe one or more diagnostic tests for further confirmation of the diagnosis.

Types of diagnostic tests for vertigo

Some of the probable vertigo tests include:

1. Fukuda-Unterberger test: Here, you need to march in a specific place for 30 seconds with your eyes closed. If you lean or rotate on any side, it might reveal any issue with your inner ear causing vertigo.

2. Romberg’s test: Here, you need to stand with your arms on either side of your feet together. If there is any feeling of misbalance, it might be because of an issue with the CNS or the central nervous system.

3. Head impulse test: Here, you need to keep your vision fixed on any specific target while the doctor moves your head from one side to another. The eye movements during the process reveal any inner ear issues.

4. Imaging test: This includes MRI and CT scans.

Cure for vertigo

A complete cure for vertigo unfortunately does not exist. However, several effective treatment methods may keep it under check.

1. Repositioning manoeuvres: It includes a series of specifically styled head movements. If necessary, you will be trained to do it by yourself.

2. Medication: Medications are useful if the vertigo attack is very sudden and lasts for a short span. Your doctor might prescribe motion sickness medicines like dimenhydrinate or meclizine or antihistamines like cyclizine to arrest the symptoms.

3. Exercise: Several vestibular rehabilitation vertigo exercises may ease the situation to a considerable extent.

4. Surgery: The doctor might recommend surgery for many serious patients depending on the situation.

Conclusion

You need to undergo a proper diagnosis to get the right treatment at the right time. Since vertigo cannot be eliminated, you must maintain the doctor’s prescription to keep the situation in check. A mediclaim policy can significantly aid this treatment process.

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