Vertigo denotes a sense of your world spinning even when you are standing still. For some people, dizziness and vertigo are synonyms.
Dizziness, however, describes a range of symptoms including lightheadedness, difficulty in walking and balance disorders while vertigo denotes a disorder, which affects the balance centers of the brain and inner ear.
Vertigo is categorized according to its causes as central or peripheral vertigo. Peripheral vertigo is caused by inner ear inflammation, vestibular nerve infections and fluid buildup in the inner ear. Central vertigo follows concussions, strokes, brain tumors, and multiple sclerosis.
Although a hearing clinic in Denver has various treatment alternatives for vertigo, most people opt for home-based remedies assuming the problem will spontaneously resolve. Home-based remedies are unfortunately inefficient, and some worsen the issue.
It is thus essential to get a doctor’s opinion early on and get a tailor-made solution for your condition. This will generally make the symptoms associated with vertigo manageable and gradually ease the dizziness that marks the condition. The following are some of these treatment options.
Medications
Diuretics and medications for the relief of anxiety and dizziness are the common ones used for managing vertigo. Diuretics suffice for patients whose vertigo is linked to Meniere’s disease since they, along with low-salt diets, will reduce the symptoms’ severity.
Anticholinergic, antihistamines and anti-anxiety medications also go a long way in immediate vertigo relief. They are used in relieving nausea, dizziness, and anxiety generally associated with the condition.
Physiotherapy
There are various positioning therapies recommended for the management of vertigo. Head positioning maneuvers like the Epley maneuver will relieve paroxysmal positional vertigo but is not used in those with neck or back issues.
Balance therapy is designed to teach you specific exercises to make your body’s balance system minimally sensitive to motion. This treatment is also known as vestibular rehabilitation and is used for people whose vertigo is associated with inner ear disorders.
Psychotherapy
This is used for patients whose condition is linked to anxiety disorders. In psychotherapy, they will learn of other ways to cope with their anxieties and manage the symptoms. This way, their symptomatic vertigo incidences will be reduced significantly.
Antibiotic Injections
There are times when the doctor might recommend a gentamicin injection into your inner ear. This injection will disable the functioning of the ear contributing to your vertigo. After this, the unaffected ear will solely control your body’s balance.
Surgical Procedures
The conventional surgical procedure used for the management of vertigo is labyrinthectomy. This disables the vestibular labyrinth in your affected ear.
In this instance, the other ear will take over your body’s balance function. Labyrinthectomy is generally used for severe hearing impairments and vertigo that has not responded to other treatments.
Although not life-threatening, vertigo will considerably affect your daily activities without its proper treatment. Along with the above treatments, you should take steps to protect yourself from harm if you have vertigo.
You can, for instance, fall-proof your home by removing any tripping hazards like exposed electrical cords and area rugs and avoiding the operation of machinery. Moreover, you should minimize the intake of caffeine, tobacco, and alcohol since these will worsen your symptoms.