Vertigo disease (not to be confused with the movie or graphic novel) is a symptom of many different health conditions. As a result, it is one of the most common ailments that people face today. Ultimately, however, there is still much that is not known about vertigo. That is why we are going to share this list of 10 shocking facts about vertigo. We will also tell you about a natural way that many are finding relief.

#1 Vertigo May Be Related to Inner Ear Problems

What many people do not realize is that the inner ear controls the body’s balance system to a great degree. This system involves the inner ear canals which have a fluid called endolymph as well as particles that help the body to detect movement and spatial orientation. These are connected to the vestibular nerve which sends signals back and forth to the brain. If the vestibular system is involved with vertigo, it is classified as peripheral vertigo.

#2 The Vestibular System Is Linked to Blood Pressure

When you move from lying down to sitting to standing, your body automatically adjusts your blood pressure to account for changes in how gravity affects blood flow. However, if something is wrong with the vestibular system, this process may not work properly. As a result, your body may fail to compensate for gravity if you stand too quickly. This may explain why vertigo commonly occurs when a person stands or sits up too fast.

#3 Vertigo Can Indicate an Emergency Situation

Vertigo causes include serious conditions such as heart attack or stroke. As a result, you have to evaluate other symptoms along with vertigo to know if emergency medical attention is needed. If you believe that you or a loved one may be experiencing a stroke or heart attack, call 911 immediately.

#4 Migraines Are a Common Vertigo Cause

Often called vestibular migraines, as much as 40% of migraines may present with vestibular symptoms such as vertigo. Since vertigo and migraines can have similar causes in the vestibular system, brainstem, or blood flow to the brain, this makes sense. Also, migraines and vertigo both commonly occur following head or neck trauma and may indicate post-concussion syndrome.

#5 Stress Is a Common Trigger

Stress or high anxiety can result in a sudden bout of vertigo. It doesn’t cause the condition, so if stress triggers an episode of vertigo for you, you were already dealing with an underlying problem in the vestibular or nervous systems. However, this may explain why some people confuse vertigo and a fear of heights. The anxiety of being high up may trigger a vertigo attack. But the fear of heights is acrophobia, not vertigo disease. The movie Vertigo also adds to confusion since the main character had a fear of heights.

#6 You Can Get Vertigo from a Boat Ride or Rollercoaster

This condition, called mal de debarquement, occurs when you continue to feel movement after the movement stops. For example, you may find that you still feel the rocking of the ocean for a time after returning from a cruise. Or you may experience a false sensation of movement following a thrill ride. These sensations should stop once you are back on solid ground for some time. However, in extremely rare cases vertigo may become perpetual.

#7 The Problem Could Be Your Medication

Vertigo is one of the most common medication side effects. If you suddenly begin to experience vertigo after starting a new medication, check the label to see if this is a side effect and talk to your doctor. Certain medications are more likely to cause vertigo. These include blood pressure medications, antianxiety drugs, beta-blockers, diuretics, calcium-channel blockers, and antihistamines.

#8 You May Just Need to Drink More Water

The easiest cause of vertigo to fix (assuming you have access to clean drinking water) is dehydration. In fact, it is one of the body’s first indicators that you are not drinking enough water. If you lose enough (just 1 or 2%) of your body weight in water, you may experience vertigo according to the AHA.

#9 It Could Be Meniere’s Disease

Meniere’s disease is a rare vestibular condition (affects an estimated 0.2% of people) that causes these four primary symptoms:

• Vertigo – Severe bouts of vertigo can last anywhere from 20 minutes to several hours.
• Tinnitus – Severe cases of tinnitus, which present as a ringing, buzzing, or rushing sound in the ear.
• Hearing loss – Hearing is gradually affected in one ear. Low frequencies are lost first. High frequencies follow as the condition progresses.
• Feeling of fullness – The affected ear may feel full, which may be related to endolymphatic hydrops (an excess of fluid in the ear).

#10 Many Vertigo Disease Causes Improve with Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care

Over the past 12 years, there have been substantial cases studies performing involving anywhere from 60 to 300 vertigo patients who underwent upper cervical chiropractic care. The studies reveal significant benefits for 90-100% of patients who were suffering from upper cervical subluxations. In fact, in the study involving 60 patients, 80% found complete relief from vertigo within 6 months of the start of care, and the rest all had improvements in severity and frequency of attacks.

To learn more about how upper cervical chiropractic can benefit you, especially if you have a history of head or neck trauma, contact a practice in your local area. A no-obligation consultation may be your first step down the path to better health and overall well-being.

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