Dizziness can be unpleasant and uncomfortable. Vertigo is a very bothersome sort of dizziness. Vertigo can make it appear as if the world around you is spinning or moving when you remain motionless. What are the causes and characteristics of vertigo-related dizziness?
What is vertigo?
Vertigo differs from dizziness and feels like spinning. Despite being stationary, vertigo makes you feel like you or the world are whirling. This impression of movement can be disturbing and disrupt normal activities.
Top Causes of Vertigo
Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)
BPPV, or benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, is a prevalent cause of vertigo. This phenomenon develops when little calcium particles, known as canaliths, migrate to an inappropriate site within the body. This displacement induces sensors in the inner ear to provide the brain with inaccurate signals regarding head movement.
BPPV induces a sudden and momentary vertigo, sometimes accompanied by nausea. The symptoms often have a duration of a few seconds to minutes and will spontaneously resolve.
Meniere's Diseases
Meniere's disease is a persistent inner ear disorder characterized by an overabundance of fluid accumulation in the cochlea, an individual component of the ear. Although the specific cause of Meniere's disease remains uncertain, potential contributory factors include compromised blood circulation within the inner ear, hypersensitivity, or immune system dysfunction.
Meniere's disease is distinguished by the presence of vertigo, tinnitus, hearing impairment, and a feeling of congestion in the ear canals.
Read more: Dizziness And Suddenly Disadvantaged Nausea, Maybe This Is The Cause
Vestibular Neuritis
Virus infections in the upper respiratory tract, or the herpes simplex virus, are the main causes of vestibular neuritis, an inflammatory condition that affects the structures of the inner ear. In addition to severe vertigo, the primary symptoms of this condition include nausea, vomiting, and an imbalanced body.
Other causes
Vertigo may also be caused by head or neck injuries, brain conditions such as a tumor or stroke, migraine headaches, and certain medications that can damage the hearing, in addition to the above primary causes.
How to Recognize the Signs of Vertigo
The symptoms of vertigo-induced dizziness may differ from those of common dizziness. There are a number of symptoms that frequently accompany vertigo-induced dizziness, including the following:
- An illusion of being tilted, swayed, or dragged in one direction
- Nausea, vomiting
- Eye movement abnormalities
- Dizzy
- Sweating excessively
- Ringing or hearing loss, especially if Meniere's disease causes vertigo
Read more: Presyncope, Symptoms Of Unrevenulable Dizzy
You might also experience the following if brain issues are the cause of your vertigo:
- Trouble swallowing
- Dual vision
- Eye movement problems
- Facial paralysis
- Sloppy speech
- Leg weakness
The main symptoms of vertigo and its accompanying symptoms might vary among individuals, depending on the underlying reason. Nevertheless, it is crucial to do a self-assessment and seek medical advice if you encounter persistent, intense, or disruptive vertigo. Seeking consultation can provide suitable treatment, particularly for conditions that involve cerebral or circulation problems.
If you need medical advice or consultation, you can either visit a doctor or make use of the consultation features that are available in the Ai Care application by downloading the Ai Care application from the App Store or Play Store.
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- dr. Monica Salim
Penn Medicine (2021). Vertigo. Available from: https://www.pennmedicine.org/for-patients-and-visitors/patient-information/conditions-treated-a-to-z/vertigo
Geri K. Metzger (2022). Vertigo. Available from: https://www.webmd.com/brain/vertigo-symptoms-causes-treatment
Better Health Channel. Dizziness, vertigo and balance disorders. Available from: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/dizziness-and-vertigo
Mayo Clinic (2022). Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/vertigo/symptoms-causes/syc-20370055
Mayo Clinic (2024). Meniere's disease. Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/menieres-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20374910
Travis Smith, et all (2023). Vestibular Neuronitis. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK549866/