Vertigo is a type of dizziness. It is described as a ‘spinning’ sensation in the head and is usually brought on by sudden changes in position. Vertigo is usually caused by posterior semicircular canals of the inner ear problem, but may also be linked to some kind of eyesight problem. Medically known as the vestibular labyrinth area of the ear.
symptoms of vertigo :
• A sensation that everything around you is moving or spinning
• Loss of balance
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Light-headedness
• Blurred vision
• Earache
• Dizziness
• Tinnitus (Ringing in Ears)
• Sweating
• Balance Problems
• Sensation of motion or disorientation
• Visual Disturbances: Involuntary eye movements and double vision
• Weakness of the limbs
• Disorders of the neck, which may alter the somatosensory information relating to head movement or interfere with the blood-supply to the vestibular system, are believed by many clinicians to be cause of vertigo
causes of vertigo :
• Due to the free-floating calcium carbonate crystals in the posterior semicircular
• Canal An infection in the ear fore example syphilis
• Vision problems
• Acute head injury
• Cardiac conditions
• Brain tumors
• Thyroid disease
• Anemia
• Calcium disorders
• Motion sickness
• Insufficient blood supply to brain
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Diabetes
• cervical spondylosis
• Inner Ear Fluid Balance
• Meniere’s disease
• Cerebellar hemorrhages which is bleeding to the back of the brain and may be accompanied by vertigo, difficulty walking, headaches and vision impairment
• Acoustic neuroma which is a type of a tumor that causes vertigo and symptoms of hearing loss and one-sided ringing in the ear
• Inflammation or infection of the ear (ear infection)
• Multiple sclerosis
• Head and neck injury or trauma
• Other circumstances that may aggravate vertigo:
• Motion Sickness (Flying, Driving, etc.)
• Menopause
• Altitude Sickness/Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS)
• Migraines
The following measures may help prevent bouts of vertigo, as well as reducing their severity:
• Sleep with your head slightly higher than the rest of your body. Slightly prop up your head and shoulders with a couple of extra pillows.
• If you have to pick something up from the floor or a surface far below your head, try to avoid bending down - the aim being to prevent your head from being lower or much lower than your shoulders. If you have good legs, try bending your legs to lower yourself rather than bending over.
• When reaching up for something, try not to extend your neck.
• If your neck is extended, or when you are lying down flat, more your head slowly.
• If you feel an episode of vertigo coming on sit down immediately. Avoid triggers that can make symptoms worse, such as bright lights, reading, sudden movements or watching TV.
• After an attack is over do not rush to return to normal activities; take your time.
• Stop smoking - people who suffer from episodes of vertigo usually experience fewer episodes and less severe symptoms if they give up smoking.
• If your vertigo is due to motion sickness, such as a rocking boat, and you feel symptoms coming on, fix your eyes on an unmoving object in the distance.
• A walking stick will not prevent symptoms, but can help with balance and prevent falls and injuries
Our orientation in space and, therefore, our balance or equilibrium, is primarily measured by three sensory systems:
1. The eye (visual) system
2. The balance (vestibular) system of the inner ear
3. The general sensory system including motion, pressure, and position (proprioception) sensors in joints, muscles, and skin.
These three systems continuously feed information to the brainstem and brain about our position in space relative to gravity and the world. The brainstem connects the brain to the spinal cord. The brain, in turn, processes these data and uses the information to make adjustments of our head, body, joints, and eyes. When all three sensory systems and the brain are properly functioning, the final result is a healthy balance system.
Visual input shows the brain where it is in space, what direction it is facing, what direction it is moving, and whether it is turning or standing still. Simple tasks like walking and picking up an object are much easier if we can see our surroundings. Feeling seasick is a problem resulting from a miscommunication between a healthy visual system and a healthy inner ear (vestibular) system. In this circumstance, the ears are telling the brain that there is movement, while the eyes may be seeing the fixed surroundings of the cabin. Changes in visual acuity, glaucoma, and cataracts are examples of visual problems that in some individuals may be enough to give them a balance disorder.
Psychological Cause :
People can suffer from vertigo when they start to grasp some of life's more existential questions. As they wonder if their life has meaning, they can experience the dizzying sensation of vertigo. This has been attributed to a person's personal feelings of emptiness and smallness. Often the questioning of life and death occur when a person suffers the loss of a loved one or gets diagnosed with an illness. Sigmund Freud have concluded that anxiety can cause vertigo in some people. When people suffer an anxiety attack, the sensation of falling and dizziness often accompanies it. Anxiety attacks can be devastating to the sufferer. The attacks can be so debilitating that the sufferer will not leave the house for fear of setting one off. Addressing the causes of anxiety can help with understanding the causes of vertigo. Naturopaths have put forth that the people who experience vertigo suffer from a sense of not being grounded and have unresolved issues that cause imbalance in their lives. This could mean unresolved feelings about taking their lives in new directions. Sometimes people who have experienced a great life change can suffer from vertigo as he/she copes with the new issues that arise.
Home care :
Here are some things you can do at home.
• Avoid head positions that provoke an attack.
• Do the Brandt-Daroff exercises, as instructed.
• Avoid sleeping on the affected or ‘bad’ side.
• Elevate (raise) your head on two pillows when resting.
• In the morning get up slowly and sit on the edge of the bed for a minute.
• Take prescribed medications as directed.
• Do not drive until your symptoms have completely resolved.
EXERCISES FOR VERTIGO
Brandt-Daroff exercises
The Brandt-Daroff exercises are thought to disperse any tiny particles away from the balance centre in your ear, therefore getting rid of the cause of your dizziness. You may be anxious that the exercises will bring back your symptoms. This is normal. However, the exercises will only work if you feel dizzy as you do them. The dizziness will get less with time.
1. Sit on the edge of the bed. Turn your head 45 degrees (look to the left). Lie down quickly on the right side. Ensure the back of the head rests on the bed. Wait 20–30 seconds or until the dizziness stops.
2. Sit upright. Wait 20–30 seconds for any dizziness to settle.
3. Repeat on the other side. Turn the head slightly to the right before lying down quickly on the left side.
4. Do five times on each side (takes about 10 minutes). Repeat three times a day.
Eye Exercises:
• Look up, then down. First, slowly, and then, quickly.
• Look from side to side. First, slowly, and then, quickly.
• Focus on your finger at arm’s length. Move your finger from side to side, keeping your eyes focused on the finger.
Head Exercises:
• Bend your head forward, and then backward with eyes open. First, slowly, and then, quickly.
• Turn your head from side to side. First, slowly, and then, quickly.
• As your dizziness improves, these head exercises can be done with your eyes closed.
Sitting:
• In sitting, shrug your shoulders.
• Turn your shoulders from side to side.
• Bend forward and pick up objects from the ground. Then, sit up.
Standing:
• From sitting, stand up. Sit down again. Do this with eyes open.
• Repeat with your eyes closed.
• In standing, pass a small rubber ball from one hand to the other under one knee.
Walking:
• Walk across the room with your eyes open. Repeat this with your eyes closed.
• Walk up and down a slope with your eyes open. Repeat this with your eyes closed.
• Walk up and down stairs with your eyes open. Repeat this with your eyes closed.
Home Remedies for Vertigo
• Soak 2 tbsp wheat grain, 1 tsp poppy seeds (khus-khus), 8 almonds, 8 water melon seeds and make a paste. Heat 1 tsp ghee fry 2 cloves in this add to the paste mix with milk and drink everyday for a week.
• Soak 1 tsp of alma (gooseberry) powder along with 1 tsp coriander seeds. Leave over night. Strain and add 1/2 tsp sugar and drink.
• Soak some coriander (dhania) seeds and Indian gooseberry (amla) powder in water. Leave over night. Strain the infusion in the morning, add some sugar to it, and drink.
• Water is the basic remedy for most of our problems, so it is good to get in the habit of drinking 8-10 glasses of water a day.
• For a home remedy for vertigo, soak five grams each of dry aamla and coriander seeds in water overnight. Strain in the morning and drink by adding little sugar.
• Mix powdered roots of vacha (sweet-flag), and aswagandha. Take one gram of this with 250 ml milk, thrice a day.
• Take one to two grams of powdered whole plant of sankhapushpi with 100 to 250 ml milk twice a day.
Acupressure Treatment
• Try simple acupressure techniques to relieve vertigo symptoms. Place your middle and index fingertips just below your earlobe. Apply pressure while taking deep breaths. Press at the base of your rib cage directly below your breastbone. Rub your fisted knuckles quickly up and down next to the shinbone on the right and left side of your legs. Lift your right heel and put the top of your left foot in between the the left leg's first and second toes. Rub quickly with your heal for 30 seconds. Do the same on the opposite foot.
• GV 26, Cv17,P6,7,TW5, UB21,60,GB20,35,K1,Liv1,2,
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