Balance Awareness Week is here, so it is time to tackle some important issues that relate to this topic. We’re going to start out by getting down to the basics. The first question we need to answer is, what is vertigo?
Once we have done that, we can discuss some of the misconceptions that people have regarding vertigo. This will allow us to dig deeper into what causes this condition and how to find natural help. Let’s get started!
What Is Vertigo?
Vertigo is a false sensation of movement. It can manifest as a spinning sensation, but that isn’t the only form of it. You may also feel like the room is swaying, tilting, or moving in some other way. You may also feel that you are the one who is moving rather than the space around you. It can be a disorienting feeling and lead to nausea or even vomiting.
It can be the result of complications in the ear or the central nervous system. When the problem is in the ear or the nerve that carries messages from the ears to the brain, it is called peripheral vertigo. When the problem is how the signals get interpreted in the central nervous system, this is called central vertigo.
What Is Vertigo Not?
Now let’s take a look at some misconceptions regarding vertigo. Here are some things that vertigo is not.
Vertigo Is Not a Condition on Its Own
It is a symptom. There are many conditions that can cause vertigo. Sometimes, a doctor can’t figure out what is causing your episode. In this case, you may get a diagnosis of positional vertigo as a sort of catchall. However, this is actually a condition whereby movements of the head trigger attacks.
It Is Not a Fear of Heights
The medical term for fear of heights is acrophobia. Perhaps people confuse the two because of a classic film called Vertigo, wherein the main character has a fear of heights. Also, extreme anxiety can trigger vertigo. Therefore, a person who has a fear of heights may experience vertigo when high up. However, the stress is just triggering an episode. It is not the underlying cause.
It Is Not Just a Part of Getting Older
The causes of vertigo all stem from the central nervous system or the ears. You’ll notice that getting older doesn’t fall into either of those categories. There are plenty of hardships that come along with aging. Vertigo is more common as we age because we are more likely to have a condition that is causing it. Finding out what the condition is and correcting it is vital.
Vertigo Is Not Always Chronic
While most of the conditions that cause it are ongoing without medical care, there are a few causes of vertigo that go away on their own within a few weeks. If you have a condition such as a cold or the flu, you may find that attacks ensue in the following weeks. This is because the illness resulted in inflammation of the inner ear (labyrinthitis) or the vestibular nerve (vestibular neuritis). Either way, the attacks should stop a couple of weeks after the illness clears up.
It Is Not Always “Non-life-threatening”
Vertigo itself is never going to be anyone’s cause of death. However, it can be a sign of an emergency medical condition like a stroke or heart attack. Also, falls as a result of vertigo can quickly become fatal, especially for the elderly. So don’t let anyone tell that finding the cause of your vertigo is unimportant. Finding out what is wrong and getting it taken care of now may even save your life.
How Can You Get Natural Help for Vertigo?
The secret to finding natural relief from vertigo is in understanding a potential underlying cause that can affect both the ears and the central nervous system. That means looking at the neck. An upper cervical misalignment in the top two bones of the neck can be behind many of the conditions that lead to vertigo.
For example, when the top bones in the neck are out of position, the surrounding soft tissue shifts to compensate. This can affect the eustachian tubes. These are the tubes that drain excess fluid away from the ears. If those tubes are no longer functioning correctly, it can result in an overabundance of fluid buildup in the inner ear. Vertigo is just one of the symptoms that may result from such an accumulation.
On the other hand, if the misalignment affects blood flow to the brain or brainstem function, your central nervous system may fail to process the information received from the ears in the correct way. This can also lead to vertigo as well as some of the underlying conditions like migraines.
Upper Cervical Chiropractic and Vertigo
Upper cervical chiropractors use diagnostic imaging techniques to find misalignments of the C1 and C2 down to fractions of a millimeter. Then, precision adjustments get calculated for each individual patient. Finally, the practitioner administers gentle corrections on an as-needed basis.
Adjustments are long-lasting and give your body the time that it needs to heal. As a result, you may find that your vertigo episodes lessen in frequency, duration, or severity. If you are living with recurring bouts of vertigo, especially if you have a history of head or neck trauma, this may be a safe and effective alternative for you.
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