Vertigo

Vertigo is a symptom rather than a condition itself.

Different people experience different intensities of vertigo. It may or may not persist when you are still or lying down. You may also feel sick (nauseous) and throw up (vomit).

Vertigo is often a symptom of an inner ear disorder. But it could be a sign of a more serious medical condition such as stroke, circulation problems or infection.

For some people, the cause of their vertigo is unknown. If you have vertigo, it is normal to feel out of control and frightened. But in most cases, the causes of vertigo are not a serious health threat.

These are the most common causes of vertigo.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)

• This is one of the most common causes of vertigo. It's usually triggered by sudden changes in the position of your head such as when you tip your head up or down, when you lie down or when you turn over or sit up in bed. It can increase your risk of falls.
• This type of vertigo happens when small calcium crystals in your inner ear come loose from their normal location and move into another part of your inner ear.
• The vertigo tends to last for around a minute. But some people can feel a mild unsteadiness between episodes of vertigo.

Labyrinthitis and vestibular neuritis

• Vestibular neuritis is when the vestibular nerve in your inner ear gets inflamed. This nerve carries messages about head movement to the rest of your body to help you balance.
• Labyrinthitis is when the auditory (hearing) and vestibular nerves in the hearing part of your inner ear become inflamed.
• Both can cause dizziness, vertigo and feeling sick (nausea).
• Labyrinthitis can also cause hearing loss and ringing in the ears (tinnitus).
• Both are usually caused by a viral infection but may be caused by a bacterial infection.
• The vertigo lasts from hours to days but usually improves within one to 3 weeks.
• Some people experience long-term balance problems.

Ménière's disease

• Ménière's disease is a disorder of the inner ear where you experience episodes of vertigo with hearing loss and a feeling of pressure or fullness in one ear.
• Episodes usually last from one to 24 hours and can occur every few days, weeks, months or less than once a year.
• Hearing loss usually varies then becomes permanent as the disease progresses.

Migraine

• Some people feel dizzy and have a sensation of motion or spinning during or just before a migraine headache.
• In some cases, vestibular migraines can cause vertigo even without other migraine or headache symptoms.

Headache

Other causes

• Stroke or Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA).
• anxiety.
• Ongoing infection of the middle ear (chronic otitis media).
• Head injury.
• Some medications such as some antibiotics, phenytoin, carbamazepine and water tablets (diuretics).
• Alcohol.

Your healthcare provider may ask you:

• to describe your symptoms such as whether you felt lightheaded or if your surroundings were spinning
• if you also experience other symptoms such as hearing loss, ringing in your ears, nausea (feeling sick), vomiting (throwing up), fullness in your ear, headaches or changes in your vision
• how often your symptoms occur and how long they last
• if your symptoms are affecting your daily activities such as being unable to walk during an episode of vertigo
• whether anything starts your symptoms (called triggers) or makes them worse, such as moving your head in a particular direction
• what makes your symptoms better.

They will also examine your ears, examine your eyes and check your balance. Because vertigo could be a symptom of another medical condition, they may also do several different tests.

To help prevent vertigo when you are getting out of bed, get up slowly and sit on the edge of the bed for a minute before standing up.

Because vertigo can affect your balance and may make you feel unsteady, you're at risk of falling or having an accident. To reduce your risk:

• get out of a bed or chair slowly
• wear low-heeled shoes that fit properly
• use handrails on stairs
• install grab bars in the bathroom, do not use towel racks for balance
• use a shower stool and apply adhesive strips to the shower or tub floor
• use a walking aid if you need one
• avoid driving until your symptoms subside, if you become dizzy or disoriented while driving, you could hurt yourself and others
• at work, let your employer know about your symptoms, especially if your job involves operating machinery or climbing ladders.