How Do Hormones Affect Vestibular Conditions?

February 19, 2023

hormones, vestibular conditions, vertigo relief

Have you been experiencing constant bouts of vertigo attacks since taking hormone pills or estrogen-based birth control pills? Do you suffer from hormonal imbalances and have recently been experiencing spinning sensations? Have you reached the menopausal stage and have increased risks for BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo)?

Many women seeking vertigo relief can empathize with your current situation. That’s because hormone fluctuations and vestibular disorders share a strong connection. Furthermore, women experience regular hormone fluctuations related to their menstrual cycle and pregnancy.

Vestibular conditions linked to hormones

Hormones influence your bodily functions in different ways, including hunger, emotions, growth, and development, feeling ill, and more. They also show a connection to the vestibular system and some vestibular conditions. Below are some vestibular conditions linked to estrogen and prolactin hormones.

#1. Meniere's disease

Hormones usually influence this condition during a woman's premenstrual phase of period and pregnancy. Therefore, your Meniere's disease symptoms episodes may increase during these times, influenced by hormonal changes and fluid retention.

#2. Acoustic neuroma

This is also known as a vestibular schwannoma, a slow-growing non-cancerous tumor that impacts your vestibulocochlear nerve. You can experience balance issues, dizziness, and even hearing changes when you have this.

A study done using mice showed that acoustic neuroma's pace of growth is influenced by estrogen. This condition is also more common in women than men, perhaps due to their higher estrogen levels. However, more research is necessary to explore how estrogen affects the pace of mass growth in acoustic neuroma.

#3. Vestibular migraine

Patients with vestibular migraines usually look for vertigo relief due to some cases lasting hours, even days. Unlike the usual migraine with head pain, this condition may or may not show symptoms of headaches but may trigger accompanying symptoms like unsteadiness and loss of balance, bouts of dizziness, and sensitivity to motion. In addition, a sudden drop in estrogen levels during a woman's menstruation or ovulation period can aggravate vestibular migraine episodes. Prolactin can also influence migraine on both low and high levels. It's also known to be linked to the trigeminal nerve and hypothalamus, which are believed to have roles in migraines. Breastfeeding is one of the many jobs in which prolactin is involved, so if you're breastfeeding and notice changes, prolactin could play a role.

Upper Cervical Misalignments Can Affect Vestibular Function

Apart from hormones, upper cervical misalignments also affect the vestibular system. Poor alignment of your topmost bones, atlas, and axis is known to interfere with and block the cerebral spinal fluid flow, which can irritate delicate nerves and blood vessels. This eventually will affect the head and bring changes in the vestibular system, causing vertigo.

Misalignments in this area also affect the brainstem, which affects your nervous system, eventually bringing distorted signals to the brain. So if you experience bouts of vertigo, getting your spine alignment checked may lead to effective vertigo relief. Upper cervical misalignment is usually overlooked, but correcting this is necessary to restore the proper function of both your vestibular and nervous system function.

hormones, vestibular conditions, vertigo relief

Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care for Vertigo Relief

If you're one of the many people living with vertigo that have remained persistent despite your efforts for relief, you may benefit from upper cervical chiropractic care. This is an effective resolution to your upper cervical misalignment issues and has shown promising results for lasting vertigo relief.

Upper cervical chiropractors focus on realigning the top two bones of your spine found in the neck area, the C1 (atlas) and C2 (axis). This effectively removes stress and pressure on the area, including the brainstem and the affected parts of the vestibular system.

This technique requires precise measurements of the misalignments, so every adjustment is guaranteed to meet your needs. So you can expect your upper cervical chiropractor to gather as much information as necessary involving your medical history, including previous injuries. Every adjustment will make sure to help your body naturally heal so your systems within the body can work optimally again. Find an upper cervical chiropractic doctor near you and schedule your consultation to get started with your upper cervical care. This type of natural care is safe and gentle and requires invasive procedures.

Find An Upper Cervical Doctor in Your Areato schedule a consultation today.

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