1. Vertigo is a sensation of world spinning, rotating, or rocking that is experienced even when a person is holding perfectly still.
2. It can happen when a person looks down from a great height.
3. It occurs when there is a problem with the inner ear, brain, or sensory nerve pathway.
4. It can happen at any age but is most common in those aged 65 years and above.
5. It is not an illness but a symptom.
Symptoms
1. A sensation of space around them is spinning.
2. Balancing problem.
3. Lightheadedness.
4. Motion sickness.
5. Nausea and vomiting
6. Ringing in the ear, tinnitus
7. A feeling of fullness in the ears
8. Headaches
9. Nystagmus, in which the eyes move uncontrollably from side to side
Causes of Vertigo
| Causes | Description |
| Labyrinthitis | This occurs when an infection causes inflammation of the inner ear labyrinth affecting the inner ear’s vestibulocochlear nerve. This is the nerve that sends information to the brain about head motion, position, and sound. Apart from vertigo, a person with labyrinthitis may also experience hearing loss, tinnitus, headaches, ear pain, and vision changes. |
| Vestibular neuritis | Inflammation of the vestibular nerve is caused by infection. It is similar to labyrinthitis, but it does not affect a person’s hearing. Vestibular neuritis causes vertigo that may accompany blurred vision, severe nausea, or a feeling of being off-balance. |
| Cholesteatoma | This happens when there is noncancerous skin growth in the middle ear, usually due to repeated infection. As the growth is behind eardrum so it can damage the middle ear’s structure causing hearing loss and dizziness. |
| Ménière’s disease | This disease causes a fluid buildup in the inner ear, which leads to vertigo with ringing in the ear and hearing loss. The exact cause for this condition is unclear, but it may be caused by blood vessel constriction, a viral infection, or an autoimmune reaction. Genetic factor also plays a role. |
| Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) | The inner ear contains an otolith organ, which contains fluid and particles of crystals of calcium carbonate. In BPPV, these crystals dislodge and fall into semicircular canals. There, each fallen crystal touches sensory hair cells within the cupula of the semicircular canals during movement. This gives false information to the brain about a person’s position, and spinning dizziness occurs. |
Other Causes
- Migraine headache
- Head trauma
- Ear surgery
- Perilymphatic fistula, when inner ear fluid leaks into the middle ear due to a tear in either of the two membranes between the middle ear and inner ear
- Shingles in or around-ear (herpes zoster oticus)
- Otosclerosis, when a middle ear bone growth problem leads to hearing loss
- Syphilis
- Ataxia
- Stroke or transient ischemic attack (mini-stroke)
- Cerebellar or brain stem disease
- Acoustic neuroma (benign growth that develops on the vestibulocochlear nerve near the inner ear)
- Multiple sclerosis
- Prolonged bed rest
- Use of certain medications
Treatment
| Type of Treatment | Description |
| Vestibular rehabilitation | This physical therapy helps to strengthen the vestibular system, a system that sends signals to the brain about head and body movements relative to gravity. |
| Canalith repositioning maneuvers | It is a series of specific head and body movements for BPPV to move calcium deposits out of the canal into an inner ear chamber so they can be absorbed by the body. This is a safe and often effective method to treat vertigo caused by BPPV. |
| Medicine | Meclinize and benzodiazepine are often prescribed for symptomatic relief. In some cases, medication may be given to relieve symptoms such as nausea or motion sickness associated with vertigo. If vertigo is caused by infection or inflammation, antibiotics and antihistamine are prescribed to reduce swelling and cure the infection. For Meniere’s disease, diuretics may be prescribed to reduce pressure from fluid buildup. Limiting sodium can help in reducing water retention. The doctor may also inject corticosteroid and antibiotic into ear to stop the infection. |
| Surgery | If vertigo is caused by a more serious underlying problems such as tumors or injury to the brain and neck, surgery is needed to treat the condition. |
Lifestyle Changes
1. Lying still in quiet and darkroom when spinning is severe
2. Sitting down as soon as feeling dizzy
3.Taking extra time to perform movements that may trigger symptoms, such as getting up, looking upward, or turning the head
4.Squatting instead of bending over when picking up something
5.Using a cane when walking
6.Sleeping with head raised on two or more pillows
7. Turn the light on when waking up
Herbal Remedies
| Herbs | How does it help? |
| Cayenne | Cayenne contains capsaicin, which can help to improve blood circulation towards the inner ear and brain, thereby reducing the symptoms of vertigo. |
| Lemongrass | Lemongrass helps alleviate the symptoms of nausea and dizziness. |
| Apple cider vinegar & Honey | Both apple cider vinegar regulates blood flow to the brain; thus, help in easing vertigo symptoms. |
| Almonds | Almonds are a rich source of vitamin A, B and E; which can help to alleviate vertigo. |
| Ginger tea | According to Ni et al 2016, ginger-partitioned moxibustion plus manual repositioning can obtain a better effect for BPPV than manual repositioning alone with stable efficacy and less adverse effect. Ni, F., Zhang, L. & Hu, S. Clinical observation on ginger-partitioned moxibustion plus manual repositioning for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). J. Acupunct. Tuina. Sci. 14, 31–35 (2016) |
| Turmeric | Turmeric helps to reduce inflammation; which helps to target the root cause of vertigo; the inflammation of the vestibular system. |
1. Ginkgo biloba is a traditional Chinese medicine that can help with vertigo symptoms.
2. According to a study in 2014, Ginkgo biloba is just as effective as the medication betahistine in managing vertigo.
3. Gingko biloba contains ginkgolide and bilolide which help to regulate blood circulation to the brain and whole body; able to ease dizziness and balance issues caused by vertigo.
4. BIOBAY Ginkgo Biloba contains 100mg per tablet able to relieve dizziness and vertigo. In addition, it promotes blood circulation to blood, boosting memory and cognitive function as well as delay the development of age-related memory and dementia.
5. Taking ginkgo every day also can help to relieve fatigue and tiredness caused by poor balance and poor blood circulation.
References
- Sokolova L, Hoerr R, Mishchenko T. Treatment of Vertigo: A Randomized, Double-Blind Trial Comparing Efficacy and Safety of Ginkgo biloba Extract EGb 761 and Betahistine. Int J Otolaryngol. 2014;2014:682439. doi:10.1155/2014/682439
