Vertigo, giddiness (or dizziness( are often used interchangeably to describe the sensation of lightheadedness, unsteadiness and the feeling of faltering or fainting. However, vertigo specifically refers to the spinning feeling that could also be a part of giddiness symptoms. Vertigo is not a disease by itself, but a symptom of an underlying disease. Vertigo is often a sign of ear disorder (peripheral vertigo) or disorders of the brain (central vertigo).
People with vertigo typically describe it as feeling like they are:
Other symptoms that may accompany vertigo include:
The treatment of vertigo depends on the cause. You may book an appointment to receive an appropriate diagnosis or treatment.
Vertigo should not be confused with symptoms of lightheadedness or fainting. To determine if true vertigo exists, you must describe a sensation of disorientation or motion. In addition, you may also have any or all of these symptoms: Nausea or vomiting, sweating and abnormal eye movements. The duration can be from minutes to hours and can be constant or episodic. The onset may be due to movement or change in position. It is important to tell your doctor about any recent head trauma as well as any new medications you may be taking. You may have hearing loss and a ringing sensation in your ears. You might have visual disturbances, weakness, difficulty speaking, decreased level of consciousness, and difficulty in walking.
The majority of cases of vertigo are harmless but let your doctor check out any new signs and symptoms of vertigo to rule out any potentially serious or life-threatening causes. Certain signs and symptoms of vertigo may require evaluation in a hospital’s emergency department: Double vision, headache, weakness ,difficulty in speaking, abnormal eye movements, altered level of consciousness, not acting appropriately, or difficulty in arousing, difficulty in walking or controlling your arms and legs.
Medications commonly prescribed are :Meclizine hydrochloride (Antivert), Diphenhydramine (Benadryl), Scopolamine transdermal patch, Promethazine hydrochloride (Phenergan) and Diazepam (Valium) Take these medications only as directed by and under the supervision of your doctor.
People whose balance is affected by vertigo should take precautions to prevent injuries from falls.
Those with risk factors for stroke should control their high blood pressure and high cholesterol and stop smoking.
Someone with Meniere disease should limit added salt to their diet.
The prognosis depends on the source of the vertigo. Vertigo caused by problems in the inner ear, while usually self-limited, in some cases can become completely incapacitating. The use of drugs and rehabilitation exercises are the mainstay of treatment. Most commonly this will make the symptoms completely go away or make the condition tolerable. The prognosis of vertigo from a brain lesion depends on the amount of damage done to the central nervous system. All vertigo caused by a brain lesion needs emergency evaluation by a neurologist and Video electroencephalogram.
It is a procedure when the EEG is recorded for a prolonged period after an advice from the physician and is accompanied by continuous closed-circuit video observation. The digitized EEG and recorded behaviour are displayed simultaneously, allowing point-to-point correlations of recorded events and any accompanying electrographic changes. This allows localisation of seizure origin.
Epilepsy is a disease of the brain caused by abnormal electrical activity. Video EEG monitoring enables your doctor to observe your seizures and the EEG at the same time. Video monitoring can help diagnose your seizure type and provides important information regarding the best treatment for your seizures. Video monitoring is also used in the evaluation for epilepsy surgery. In some patients, epilepsy can be helped or even cured by surgery. Video EEG monitoring is considered medically necessary when specific patient selection criteria are met, as outlined below may be considered for other situations.
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