Vertigo

Vertigo is a feeling of spinning, dizziness or imbalance. Vertigo is generally caused by inner ear problem. The most common causes for vertigo are electrolyte imbalance, low blood pressure, BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo), Meniere’s Disease and Vestibular neuritis. It can also happen because of cervical spine problems or brain pathology. This can happen due to many reasons and one of them is dehydration. There are other medical conditions that can lead to electrolyte imbalance which include chronic kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes etc.

One of the very common condition is cervical spine problem like cervical spondylitis which can cause severe vertigo and nausea. Apart from spine or brain pathology like tumours, stroke or migraine can also cause similar kind of episodes. In case of cervical spondylitis the best doctor for the treatment of vertigo would be a neuro specialist or a physiotherapist. The most common reason for cervical spondylitis is wrong posture while working or even sleeping. So many a times changing posture or pillow that you use may help you in relieving symptoms of cervical spondylitis.

Reasons for Vertigo

Vertigo is often triggered by a change in the position of your head. The common symptoms include: Spinning, Tilting, Swaying or Pulled to one direction. The reasons for vertigo could be :

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) – This vertigo occurs when tiny calcium particles (canaliths) clump up in canals of the inner ear. The inner ear sends signals to the brain about head and body movements relative to gravity. It helps you keep your balance. BPPV can occur for no known reason and may be associated with age.

Miniere’s Disease: Miniere’s disease is an inner ear disease which is caused by the accumulation of fluid in the ear and changing ear pressure. This can not only lead to vertigo but also tinnitus (ringing sound in ear) and hearing loss if not treated properly.

Vestibular Neuritis: This is an inner ear problem usually related to infection (usually viral). The infection causes inflammation in the inner ear around nerves that are important for helping the body sense balance.

Best Doctors and Cost

Treatment for vertigo depends upon the reason which is causing vertigo. In many cases symptoms of vertigo go away on their own but in other conditions person may need treatment for the same. The best treatment for BPPV is combination of medical management by ENT specialist along with physiotherapist which is aimed at strengthening the vestibular system of the person. There may be cases of vestibular neuritis which may need canalith repositioning manoeuvre by an ENT specialist or a physiotherapist. These maneuvers are considered one of the best treatment for vestibular neuritis as the main purpose of these maneuvers is to move the calcium deposits out of the canal into an inner ear chamber so they can be absorbed by the body. In cases where inner ear infection is the cause of vertigo then it needs surgery called mastoidectomy. Mastoidectomy is generally accompanied by tympanoplasty for replacing the perforated ear drum.

As mentioned earlier vertigo can also be caused due to brain pathology like tumours etc. In these cases a proper diagnosis through a CT Scan or MRI is essential to plan the best line of treatment. In case there is a tumour that is causing vertigo then surgery for excision of tumour is the best option.