Vertigo Specialist

What is vertigo?

Vertigo is the sensation that the room is spinning. Commonly referred to as dizziness, the sensation occurs when your sensory and balance systems miscommunicate that your body is moving. 

If you have vertigo, you may also have symptoms such as: 

• Nausea
• Disorientation
• Vomiting 
• Confusion 

Positional vertigo is a particular type of vertigo that occurs when you hold your head in a specific position or when the head changes position. The most common type of positional vertigo is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or BPPV, which causes sensations of spinning or whirling when lying on your side.

What causes vertigo?

Conditions that affect the inner ear are often at the root of vertigo because the inner ear plays a significant role in maintaining balance and spatial orientation. When the inner ear is affected by conditions like allergies, colds, head trauma, or Meniere's disease, balance can be impaired, and you may experience dizziness.

Also, conditions that impact your circulation, breathing, hormones, eyes, or sensory nerves may cause vertigo, such as: 

• Low blood pressure
• Low blood sugar
• Thyroid disorders
• Anemia
• Dehydration 
• Bleeding
• Heart disorders
• High blood pressure
• Hyperventilation
• Diabetes 

The Lake Grove ENT team can assess the underlying causes of your vertigo and help you find your balance again. 

What treatments are there for vertigo?

You might not need treatment for your vertigo, as sometimes your brain can adapt to the problem. If your brain learns to compensate, your vertigo might clear up. 

In many cases, vertigo can be treated with medication or physical therapy, including a particular type of therapy focused specifically on the ear and called vestibular therapy. When conservative approaches are not effective in relieving symptoms or when the cause has been determined to be related to an anatomical problem with the ear structure, surgery may be necessary. 

Because so many issues can contribute to vertigo, it’s important to see an experienced otolaryngologist and ensure you get proper treatment. Also, many other diseases can cause similar symptoms, so having symptoms of vertigo evaluated as soon as they occur is critical.

To learn more and discuss your condition, call the office or book an appointment online with Lake Grove ENT today.