Everything You Need to Know About Vertigo: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment

Vertigo is a symptom, rather than a condition itself. It’s the sensation that you, or the environment around you, is moving or spinning. This may be associated with nausea, vomiting, sweating, or difficulties walking.

Causes

There are two types of vertigo, peripheral and central vertigo.

Peripheral vertigo is due to a problem in the part of the inner ear that controls balance. These areas are called the vestibular labyrinth, or semicircular canals. The problem may also involve the vestibular nerve. This is the nerve between the inner ear and the brain stem.

Peripheral vertigo may be caused by:

1. Benign positional vertigo (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, also known as BPPV)
2. Certain medicines, such as aminoglycoside antibiotics, cisplatin, diuretics, or salicylates, which are toxic to the inner ear structures
3. Injury (such as head injury)
4. Inflammation of the vestibular nerve (neuronitis)
5. Irritation and swelling of the inner ear (labyrinthitis)
6. Meniere disease
7. Pressure on the vestibular nerve, usually from a noncancerous tumor such as a meningioma or schwannoma

Central vertigo is due to a problem in the brain, usually in the brain stem or the back part of the brain (cerebellum).Central vertigo may be caused by:

1. Blood vessel disease
2. Certain drugs, such as anticonvulsants, aspirin, and alcohol
3. Multiple sclerosis
4. Seizures (rarely)
5. Stroke
6. Tumors (cancerous or noncancerous)
7. Vestibular migraine, a type of migraine headache

Diagnosis :

A detailed history of the vertigo events is generally taken. To evaluate a pateitn with vertigo a detailed ear, nose throat examination, including targeted examination of the central nerbous system and blood pressure helps to ascertain the cause of vertigo.

Videonystagmography (VNG) is a special diagnostic system for recording, analyzing, and reporting eye movements using video imaging technology, in which hi-tech video goggles with infrared cameras are used. VNG includes a series of tests used to determine whether a vestibular disease may be causing a balance or dizziness problem; VNG can differentiate between a central and a peripheral vestibular lesion, and, if peripheral, it can decipher between unilateral and bilateral vestibular loss.

Treatment for Vertigo

Treatment for vertigo depends on what’s causing it. In many cases, vertigo goes away without any treatment. This is because your brain is able to adapt, at least in part, to the inner ear changes, relying on other mechanisms to maintain balance.

For some, treatment is needed and may include:

• Vestibular rehabilitation
• Canalith repositioning maneuvers
• Medicine
• Surgery