Vertigo is the feeling of being off balance when you look down from a great height. It’s characterized by dizzy spells or a simple fear of heights. The dizziness and sense of the entire world spinning can often lead to major accidents which is why you should seek treatment quickly.
Causes of vertigo
There are several causes of vertigo:
- Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) occurs when there are tiny calcium particles, called canaliths, blocking up the inner ear. Since the inner ear plays a vital role in sending signals to the brain about head & body movements with respect to gravity, this blockage hampers the process.
- Meniere’s disease is caused by inner ear fluid build-up and fluctuating pressure on the ears. Bouts of vertigo caused by this disease are often accompanied by ringing in the ears and hearing loss.
- Vertigo is sometimes caused by a head or neck injury, migraine headaches, or cases of stroke and brain tumours.
Symptoms of vertigo
There are several symptoms of vertigo you must recognize to start treatment at its earliest:
- Spinning sensation
- Tilting and swaying on the spot
- Feeling unbalanced
- Being pulled towards one direction
- Jerky and abnormal eyeball movement
- Hearing loss or ringing in the ears