When our sense of balance is not quite right, dizziness is the broad term we use to explain how we feel. Feeling dizzy, reported by some, is feeling as if everything is spinning around them or as if they are spinning themselves. When referencing vertigo by doctors, this what they are talking about. Dizziness can be caused by a variety of factors and how we keep balance involves many different aspects of the body. A lot of vertigo or dizziness issues stem from the inner ear, or the vestibular system. This is part of the balance system that supplies the brain with the information to the changes caused by head movement with respect to the pull of gravity. Dizziness, vertigo, imbalance, disorientation and possibly nausea and vomiting may be the result when the vestibular system is not functioning accordingly. We at the ENT Specialists would like to discuss vertigo disorders.
Vertigo disorders include Acoustic Neuroma, Arteriosclerosis, Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, “Central” or Neurological Vertigo, Hyperventilation, Labyrinthitis, Ménière’s Disease, Osteoarthritis, Ototoxicity, Peripheral Fistula, Peripheral Vestibular Disorders, Post-traumatic Vertigo, Postural Hypotension, Tinnitus, Vascular Vertigo, Vestibular Neuronitis, and Vestibular Neuronitis.
The more common vestibular system disorders are the following listed below.
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV): Due to small calcium crystals in one part of your ear moving into an area where they shouldn’t be, you feel you are spinning or swaying. Though you are not really moving, your inner ear tells your brain you are. Your doctor will treat BPPV by guiding you through a series of prescribed head movements to reposition the calcium crystals where they should be.
Labyrinthitis: This is also known as inner ear infection and it occurs when the labyrinth, or the fragile structure deep inside your ear, is inflamed. Symptoms not only impact your hearing and balance but it will cause ear pressure and pain along pus or fluid from secreting from your ear along with nausea and high fever. When abyrinthitis is due to a bacterial infection, it is treated with antibiotics and steroids to reduce the inflammation or other antiemetic medication to reduce vomiting and dizziness.
Vestibular neuritis: The nerve that sends sound and balance information from your inner ear to your brain can be impacted from a viral infection from somewhere else in the body, such as chickenpox or measles. Common symptoms include the sudden dizziness with trouble walking and nausea, and vomiting. Generally, the doctors have to treat the virus causing vestibular neuritis to treat it.
Meniere’s disease: This disorder will cause patients to have sudden attacks of vertigo, hearing loss, and a feeling of fullness in the affected ear, along with tinnitus, which a buzzing, roaring, or ringing sound in the ear. A virus, allergy, or autoimmune reaction may cause too much fluid in the inner ear resulting in the hearing loss to worsen over time or become permanent in some cases. Lifestyle changes can help such as significantly reducing alcohol, salt, and caffeine intake and medication and ease the attacks. In severe cases, patients may need surgery to find relief for their symptoms.
Perilymphatic fistula (PLF): Making you feel dizzy and may cause some hearing loss is a tear or defect between your middle ear and fluid-filled inner ear. PLF can be caused a head injury, or heavy lifting, or increased pressure in your ear, otherwise known as barotraumas, and some can be born with PLF. Repairing the perilymph fistulas can be done with surgery and opening or tear can be plugged with tissue taken from the outer part of your ear.
If you suffer from dizziness here are quite a few issues that can be at fault. Schedule your appointment with the ENT Specialists and let our physicians find the source and see what we can do for you!
