4 Important Things To Know About Vertigo

Vertigo affects many people, and it can be a very unsettling feeling when you experience it. It is not a disease but a symptom of something else.

Along with the dizzying feeling, you could also have other accompanying symptoms, which make it quite troublesome for many people, especially women who have a lot of things to fulfill in their daily lives.  

What Is Vertigo? 

Vertigo is a sensation of feeling dizzy, like the world around you is spinning, and you feel like you're going to fall off balance. A study reveals that about 15-20% of adults are affected by vertigo. It occurs three to four times higher in women, and its prevalence rises with age.  

Vertigo may be associated with a head or neck injury, stroke, tumor in the brain, migraine headaches, and medications causing ear damage. 

Treatments for vertigo largely depend on what's causing it, and there are certain instances when it goes away untreated. But if your vertigo affects your quality of life, you may try getting help from a qualified chiropractor.

Chiropractors Colorado Springs area offers world-class services and can help you address symptoms of illnesses, including vertigo. Since vertigo is more prevalent in women, here are some of the things you may need to know: 

1. Types Of Vertigo 

There are several types of vertigo, and a new one was recently discovered: 

1. Peripheral Vertigo: The most common type of vertigo that is connected to a problem with the inner ear that controls the body's balance. 

• BPPV or benign paroxysmal positional vertigo – happens when the crystals in the inner ear's vestibular labyrinth get loose and affect the hairlike sensors that signal your balance in the brain, this affects your sense of gravity.  
•  Vestibular neuronitis – When the vestibulocochlear nerve that sends the signal to the brain about your balance and head position gets swollen, it disrupts the sending of information, and the brain can't interpret the signals correctly, causing one to feel dizzy and nauseous.  
• Meniere's disease – Another condition that originates in the inner ear. Attacks of this disease can last for 20 minutes or even for several hours. It's a severe condition that may also result in permanent hearing loss. People with this disease often feel that their affected ear is packed and may sometimes perceive ringing in the ear called tinnitus. 

2. Central Vertigo: A clinical condition wherein an individual, even when lying perfectly still, feels as if the room is spinning or hallucination of motion in their surroundings. Central vertigo can manifest after a head injury, stroke, or when one has a tumor in the brain. It can also be a symptom of multiple sclerosis and an after-effect of ischemic attacks or ministrokes.  

5 Easy Techniques To Improve Your Posture

2. There Is A New Type Of Vertigo 

In 2004 in South Korea, neurologists discovered a new type of vertigo they call RSV-HSN or recurrent spontaneous vertigo with head-shaking nystagmus. This new type of vertigo is relatively easy to treat though the cause could be complicated to determine.

This new type of vertigo causes severe motion sickness and repetitive, uncontrolled eye movements. In the study conducted in South Korea, 5% reported complete control of symptoms, and with continued medication, a follow-up after 12 years showed resolution or improvement of symptoms. 

3. Vertigo Symptoms

Aside from the dizziness spells and the feeling of imbalance, other symptoms can manifest simultaneously with the previously mentioned ones, which makes it very burdensome to many people.

Other co-occurring vertigo symptoms are: 

• Problems focusing the eye 
• Hearing loss in one ear 
• Double vision 
• Difficulty swallowing 
• Slurred speech 
• Facial paralysis 
• Weak limbs 
• Sweating 

4. Vertigo Is Common In Pregnant Women 

There are several reasons women may feel vertigo symptoms during pregnancy, but one thing is attributed to lowering blood pressure. Since the baby needs blood, some of the blood pumped into your body goes to your baby, causing a pregnant woman to experience hypotension.  

Low blood pressure can make a pregnant woman feel dizzy, especially when moving from lying down to standing. This is why they need to take ferrous sulfate while pregnant to ensure sufficient blood supply in the body. 

Related: Can you crack your back while pregnant

Pregnant women may also feel dizziness similar to vertigo during the first trimester called hyperemesis gravidarum. This causes extreme nausea and vomiting due to the change in the body's hormone levels. Typically, this goes away as soon as you reach the second trimester. 

The pressure in your uterus, especially if the baby is large, could also result in dizziness. The expanded uterus may block blood flow from your lower extremities to your heart, especially when lying on your back. Gestational diabetes is also another reason since low blood sugar affects insulin production in your body.  

Vertigo in pregnant women can affect a woman's mental and emotional state while carrying the baby in her womb. That's why it's essential to always consult with the gynecologist on the best steps to counter this and ensure a healthy pregnancy. 

Conclusion 

The unnerving effects of vertigo shouldn't be dismissed. It's your body sending you signals that something is wrong, and you need to have it checked. If the symptoms affect how you live your life, you may try unconventional treatments like chiropractic therapy.