What is Vertigo and How to Stop Vertigo from Happening
What is vertigo, and what causes vertigo symptoms? There are several different causes of vertigo, though they all share the same common symptoms. Vertigo is a sensation of the room moving around you. It feels as if everything is spinning, like the room is moving around you and is something that you have no control over. People who experience symptoms of vertigo often describe it as feeling like they are:
- Spinning
- Swaying
- Off-balance
Other symptoms or signs of vertigo that may accompany a vertigo episode are:
- Vomiting
- Headaches
- Sweating
- Ear ringing
Oftentimes, the person experiencing a vertigo episode will grab onto something to try and stabilize themselves, they’ll sit down or reach for a wall. These are all signs that you may be having a vertigo episode. These episodes can last anywhere from a minute to several days.
What Causes Vertigo?
Vertigo causes are mostly linked to an inner ear problem, though there are many different reasons you may be experiencing it yourself. A few of these are:
- BPPV: Also called benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, is one of the most common causes of vertigo. It is typically triggered when you move your head and change its positioning, such as tilting your head up or down. It’s rarely serious unless it increases the risk of falling. Although it does often go away on its own over time, in many cases it does come back later on.
- Meniere’s disease: This is a disorder within the inner ear that causes severe dizziness, ringing in the ears, hearing loss, as well as a congested feeling inside the ear. It usually starts in only one ear, but later may involve both. Things like smoking and high salt diets can increase the risk of it spreading to the other ear. It is thought to be caused by a buildup of fluid as well as changing pressure in the ear.
- Labyrinthitis: It is an inflammation within the inner ear or the nerves that connect the inner ear to the brain. It usually is triggered by infections such as a cold or flu.
- Migraines: Specifically, migraines with an aura, which is a severe headache that happens alongside other things like dizziness, sensitivity to light, ringing in the ears, and zigzagging lines in your vision.
People want to pinpoint one specific place that causes the vertigo problem, unfortunately there usually is not, there’s several and you must address all of them to help get out of a vertigo spin as well as to not have future spins. Once you’ve experienced an episode of vertigo, they typically occur again and again and the episodes as they occur become more and more frequent.
How to Stop a Vertigo Attack
Some of the key factors that wind up dictating how long a vertigo attack lasts is how quickly you recognize it and try to correct it. There are several things you can do to alleviate a vertigo episode, such as:
- Lay still in a quiet, dark room to reduce the spinning sensation
- sit down the moment you begin to feel dizzy
- When getting out of bed, move slowly and sit on the edge of the bed for a moment before standing up
- Try to remain calm, as anxiety can make vertigo worse
- Drink more water. You should be drinking about half of your body weight in fluid ounces every day.
- Try the semicircular maneuver. This maneuver helps 50% of people to get out of the spins
I’ve created a great step-by-step guide with five steps on how to get out of the vertigo spins quickly, which can teach you how to perform the semicircular maneuver as well as offer other tips and it’s absolutely free.
@northbrookchiropractor After only a few sessions Susan’s vertigo symptoms are almost gone! #vertigo #dizziness #chiropractor #lifeisgooddance #adjustment #northbrookillinois ♬ original sound – Dr. Gregg Gerstin
Other Treatments for Vertigo
Vertigo treatment is highly dependent on what is causing it. In many cases, vertigo can go away without treatment, though it could return once again. There are several different maneuvers you can try to help alleviate vertigo symptoms, as well as diet changes to implement in your day-to-day life. Natural treatments for vertigo should always be highly considered before surgery or medications are used.
If you or someone you know has experienced vertigo and is looking for how to cure vertigo, send this article on how to stop vertigo to them so they can check out some of the other tips that we have here so they can start to take action on changing their lives.
At Align Wellness Center, we’ve treated many patients with vertigo. One of the questions we get asked often is how to get rid of vertigo for good. While there is no one-size-fits-all answer to what’s causing your vertigo, and what will help relieve vertigo symptoms, our team is dedicated to finding the root of the problem.
If you’d like tips on how you can stay healthy and well without drugs and surgery, go ahead and check out other articles on this site. If you continue to struggle with vertigo and dizziness, give us a call at Align Wellness Center (847) 860-6599 or schedule an appointment online. Contact us today or stop by the office. We’re located at 900 Skokie Blvd., Suite 113, Northbrook, IL, 60062.
