Peripheral vertigo involves a feeling of spinning or motion sickness. A person who is experiencing peripheral vertigo may lose hearing in one ear, feel off balance, experience tinnitus (ringing in the ear), or have trouble focusing visually. What are the types of peripheral vertigo? Here are the four main ones.

• BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo) – This makes up most cases of vertigo overall. Bouts are usually short and can range from mild to severe. An attack may come about when the head moves too quickly or into a particular position.
• Meniere’s disease -  This is considered a rather rare vestibular condition (about 0.2% of the population). Vertigo comes on suddenly and can last the entire day. Tinnitus may also be severe. Hearing loss is common and may become permanent. The affected ear (symptoms are one-sided) may feel full.
• Labyrinthitis – The labyrinth is the part of the inner ear responsible for balance. If a virus or infection is causing swelling in this region, vertigo is likely. When the infection clears up, swelling should go down and eliminate the spinning sensation.
• Vestibular neuronitis – If an infection spreads to the vestibular nerve (eighth cranial nerve), vertigo may occur. This is the nerve that is responsible for the message transmission between the ear and brain regarding spatial orientation and balance.

Getting Vertigo Under Control

If a virus, infection, or other bacterial cause is at the root of the problem, vertigo should clear up once the infection or other medical issue has been resolved. This may require an antibiotic or other treatment. If the vertigo is related to BPPV or Meniere’s disease, the underlying issue may actually be in the neck.

When the C1 (atlas) is misaligned, this can also affect the ear (particularly the Eustachian tube) and the vestibular nerve. Correcting the misalignment that has caused the symptoms has led to natural relief for many. To learn more, contact an upper cervical chiropractor in your area.

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