Dizziness: Causes, symptoms, treatment

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The article was professionally consulted by a Doctor of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital

Dizziness is a feeling of loss of balance, causing you to feel yourself or your surroundings spinning, toppling, spinning, causing you to lose balance and fall. The pathogenesis of vertigo is complex and treatment depends on the cause of the vertigo.

1. Causes of dizziness

Dizziness is a consequence of diseases of the inner ear, the vestibular cochlear nerve (the VIII nerve) and in the brain. The inner ear is the organ responsible for sending signals to the brain, through the vestibular cochlear nerve, about head and body movement relative to gravity to help you keep your balance.
Some common causes of dizziness include:

1.1 Benign paroxysmal postural vertigo (BPPV)

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo: BPPV is caused by dislodged and free-moving otoliths in the semicircular canals of the inner ear, often associated with head trauma. BPPV can also occur for no apparent reason and may be age-related.

1.2 Meniere's disease (idiopathic hydronephrosis)

This is a disorder that occurs in the inner ear, which is thought to be caused by the accumulation of endolymph and changes in pressure in the ear. Meniere's disease can cause episodes of vertigo along with tinnitus and hearing loss.

1.3 Vestibular neuritis / Ear labyrinthitis

This is a pathology of the inner ear and is usually associated with an infection (mainly a virus). Inflammation in the inner ear, which contains the labyrinth of the ear and the first part of the vestibular cochlear nerve, leads to damage to these parts, thereby causing dizziness and loss of balance.

1.4 Other causes

A person suddenly experiences dizziness or lightheadedness from time to time which can be caused by a head or neck injury, brain problems such as a stroke, a tumor, or as a side effect of medication or pain. Migraine head.

2. Symptoms of dizziness

Vertigo is usually triggered when you suddenly change the position of your head. People with vertigo often describe this symptom with phrases such as:
Dizziness; Witty; Swinging; Overbalance; Pulled in one direction. Other symptoms that may accompany dizziness include:
Feeling nauseous; Vomiting; Abnormal eye movements or nystagmus; Headache; Sweat; Tinnitus, hearing cicadas, wind blowing in the ears or hearing loss; Symptoms can last from a few minutes to hours, or even longer. Dizziness can come and go suddenly or have a trigger.

3. Treatment of dizziness

The choice of treatment for vertigo depends on the cause of the vertigo. In many cases, vertigo goes away on its own without treatment. This is because your brain can partially adapt to changes in the inner ear and relies on other mechanisms to maintain balance.
For some people, treatment for vertigo is necessary and treatments include:

3.1 Vestibular rehabilitation

This is a method of physical therapy to help strengthen the vestibular system. The function of the vestibular system is to send signals to the brain about head and body movement relative to gravity. Vestibular rehabilitation may be recommended if you have recurrent vertigo. This measure helps train your other senses to compensate for the vestibular system, in order to relieve vertigo.

3.2 Trick to move the ear stone back to the old position

The American Academy of Neurology has released many guidelines for performing ear stone repositioning procedures, to treat patients with BPPV. These procedures aim to move ear stones from the semicircular canal back into the inner ear cavity to be absorbed by the body. During the procedure, you may experience more dizziness as the ear stones move. The doctor will perform and guide the patient to coordinate to conduct the procedure in the safest and most effective way.

3.3 Pharmaceuticals

In some cases, certain medications may be prescribed to relieve symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, and sweating. If the vertigo is caused by an infection or inflammation, antibiotics or steroids work to reduce swelling and cure the infection. For Meniere's disease, diuretics are also sometimes prescribed to relieve pressure in the inner ear caused by accumulation of endolymph.

3.4 Surgery

There are causes of dizziness that require surgery to completely treat, such as a tumor or trauma to the brain or neck. Your doctor will focus on treating those causes to control the dizziness.
In fact, dizziness is not a disease but a symptom of many different diseases that you are suffering from. This condition can be effectively treated depending on the cause, but it often recurs. In most cases, dizziness is not serious and will go away if the cause is found and treated properly.

4. Notes for people with dizziness

You will be able to control dizziness and limit the worsening of this condition if you maintain the following appropriate habits and lifestyle:
Be careful when walking if you feel you have lost your balance. can use a cane to support when symptoms are too severe; Avoid changing positions too suddenly; Limit placing easily tripping objects in the house; Sit or lie down as soon as you feel dizzy; Do not drive or operate dangerous machinery if you experience frequent dizziness; Reduce the amount of coffee, alcohol, tobacco and salt consumed in the body; Drink enough water, adhere to a healthy eating plan, get enough sleep and manage stress and tension; Learn about the side effects of current medications and consult your doctor; Take time to relax, rest in a cool place, and replenish electrolytes. In general, if a specific cause of dizziness is found, it is likely to be completely cured. However, in cases where the cause cannot be found or the cause is not completely treated, you will be prone to recurrence of dizziness. Therefore, when dizziness occurs, you should lie down in the most comfortable position, avoid walking to limit falls. In addition to drugs that help improve the disease faster, living a healthy life, exercising and limiting stress can somewhat reduce the frequency of disease recurrence.

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Reference article source: Webmd.com