Vertigo can be a tricky symptom. There are many different causes of vertigo, ranging from problems with the ear to neurological conditions. We are going to take a closer look at some of the causes of vertigo. See if you recognize the symptoms of something from this list of vertigo causes and you may be one step closer to feeling better.
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BPPV is the number one diagnosis when a person is experiencing vertigo. It usually means that your attacks are short, but that doesn’t mean they lack severity. The word positional refers to the triggering function of the vertigo condition, which is related to movements of the head, getting up too fast, turning over, laying down, or even bending over.
While this condition can cause a great deal of discomfort, it is rarely considered to be dangerous. The main issue is that a severe vertigo bout can catch you off guard and cause a fall. For the elderly, this can turn a benign condition fatal in a matter of seconds.
You are at most considerable risk for BPPV if you have a history of head injuries, are suffering from osteoporosis, or have an inner ear condition. In fact, if you do have positional vertigo, your doctor may first try to help with canalith repositioning techniques to see if the main issue is that the particles in your inner ear have become displaced. This series of head maneuvers can get the particles back into the proper canal.
These are two different health conditions, but both can cause vertigo, and they both have a similar genesis and resolution. Thus, it makes sense to put them together on our list of vertigo causes. As you can tell by the suffix -itis, both of these conditions involve inflammation. They also both usually occur following some type of virus (the common cold, for example). Both conditions cause vertigo, but they both typically resolve within a couple of weeks following the end of the virus.
The difference is in the location of the swelling. Since the vestibular system provides the brain with information regarding balance, anything that interferes with a part of this system can cause vertigo. One such crucial component is the inner ear where the particles we mentioned previously are located. Inflammation can cause the ears to have the wrong information to send to the brain. Since the inner ear is called the labyrinthitis, the condition is called labyrinthitis.
The other condition is called vestibular neuritis because it involves inflammation of the vestibular nerve. It is the nerve sends the signals from the inner ear to the brain. Swelling can affect the nerve’s ability to do this properly. Once again, vertigo may be the result.
Meniere’s disease is a disorder of the vestibular system that results in vertigo, tinnitus (ringing in the ear), pressure in the ear, and hearing loss. Patients may experience long periods of remission between attacks, or they may occur closer together. Severe vertigo that lasts for 20 minutes or more (sometimes all day) is the first very recognizable symptom. The other symptoms grow worse over time. While the condition often affects only one ear at the start, it may occur bilaterally as the disease progresses. A hearing test is one of the primary means of diagnosing Meniere’s disease because the progression of the hearing loss follows a particular pattern. Your doctor may also want to rule out other possible problems before diagnosing Meniere’s since there is no direct test for this condition.
Vertigo often begins following a head or neck trauma. When a person experiences a concussion, symptoms such as vertigo, migraines, fatigue, mood changes, and more may become ongoing problems. The patient may begin to experience these symptoms within just a few days of the accident. However, for some patients, it can be weeks or even months before these symptoms emerge. This makes it very important to seek medical attention following a concussion, even if you don’t feel that the injury was particularly bad.
Additional symptoms of post-concussion syndrome may include sleep troubles, depression, sensory sensitivity, changes in personality, irritability, and memory troubles.
If you experience vertigo regularly, you may want to seek the assistance of an upper cervical chiropractor. Through precise measurements and gentle upper cervical adjustments, you may be able to get the help you need to feel better. This is especially so if you have a history of head or neck injuries that could have caused a misalignment.
If you want to learn if upper cervical chiropractic is right for you, all you have to do is contact a practitioner in your area. An examination and patient history can reveal if you are likely to have an upper cervical misalignment. X-rays can then detect the precise location and give the practitioner the necessary information to calculate an adjustment to meet your specific needs.
To learn more, use the search feature on this site to locate one of our preferred doctors. Then you can schedule a no-obligation consultation to determine if you wish to move forward with this form of care. We hope our list of vertigo causes has helped you to learn more about the symptoms you are experiencing. Now it is time to see a doctor to get the help you need.
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The content and materials provided in this web site are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to supplement or comprise a medical diagnosis or other professional opinion, or to be used in lieu of a consultation with a physician or competent health care professional for medical diagnosis and/or treatment. All content and materials including research papers, case studies and testimonials summarizing patients' responses to care are intended for educational purposes only and do not imply a guarantee of benefit. Individual results may vary, depending upon several factors including age of the patient, severity of the condition, severity of the spinal injury, and duration of time the condition has been present.
