Almost a third of the world's population suffers a serious vertigo attack at least once in their lifetime. Around ten percent of medical patients state that they suffer from vertigo. The causes are varied and not easy to determine.
Althoughdizzy spells are part of an interrelated complex, they often vary greatly in their individual manifestations. They can occur for seconds, but can also last for longer periods of time. Chronic dizziness is also not uncommon.
People can suffer from dizziness for the same reason and yet not share every symptom.
Rotational vertigo is the most common form of dizziness. It usually occurs after drinking alcohol. The person affected feels that their perception is disturbed and believes that the world is spinning around them.
Rotational vertigo impairs the sense of balance and leads to nausea. This is why this type of dizziness is often accompanied by vomiting. Rotational vertigo can also occur
- in the morning after getting up, or
- after the body has been exposed to rapid rotations (e.g. when riding a carousel)
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In the case of vertigo, sufferers have problems walking in a straight line. The symptoms persist even if the sufferer stands still. While spinning vertigo has more of a horizontal effect, in the case of swaying vertigo the sufferer believes that the ground is being pulled out from under their feet. Although vomiting and feeling unwell are also possible here, they are much rarer.
Lift vertigo is similar to swaying vertigo. However, the person affected does not feel as if a solid floor is being pulled away. Rather, it seems as if there is no floor at all and they are in an elevator that is constantly moving up and down.
Vertigo of the seconds can manifest itself in various ways. With this type of vertigo, the symptoms disappear as quickly as they appear. It can combine symptoms of the other types of vertigo and cannot be precisely classified. It is characterized by rapid flashes of symptoms.
The causes of dizziness are varied and not always easy to identify. On the one hand, there are age-related dizziness complaints.
Many children also suffer from dizziness when traveling by boat or car. After the sense of balance has fully developed, these complaints often disappear again during puberty.
With increasing age, the ability to process external impressions in the brain as quickly as possible decreases again. This is why around 30 percent of over-65s suffer from frequent dizziness attacks. Under 65, only one in six suffers from severe vertigo attacks.
These types of vestibular vertigo occur when the brain is overloaded with information from the vestibular apparatus (balance apparatus) and the eyes and is unable to process it in time.
On the other hand, subliminal clinical pictures are responsible for sensory disturbances. Dizziness occurs, for example, as a side effect of
occur.
Other causes can be found in
- Fluctuations in blood pressure (both too high and too low) or
- blockages of the cervical spine.
Blockages of the upper cervical vertebrae in particular cause a cervical migraine. It manifests itself in severe headaches and dizziness attacks.
Causes of dizziness:
- Brain diseases such as tumors
- complaints along the cervical spine
- Extreme blood pressure and heart disease
- epilepsy
- migraine
A third type of dizziness is caused by extreme physical conditions. These include
- Addictive substances such as alcohol, drugs, nicotine (especially during withdrawal)
- Psychological states of emergency (panic attacks, hypochondria, stress)
- pregnancy.
Dizziness is also often caused by psychological factors. Many people imagine that they are suffering from serious illnesses and mention sensations of dizziness during the examination. These are intensified by the supposed certainty of being terminally ill.
People suffering from dizziness should consult their family doctor if the symptoms keep recurring or do not go away. If the doctor cannot identify a cause for the condition, the patient will be referred to a specialist, depending on the GP's suspicions.
If there is a suspicion of
- a psychological or cerebral background, the patient is referred to a neurologist.
- Problems with the cervical spine or other blockages are referred to an orthopaedist.
Specialists in ear, nose and throat medicine also deal with the treatment of dizziness.
First of all, the doctor in question will take a patient history(anamnesis). The patient should try to classify and interpret their symptoms in advance. This makes it easier for the doctor to determine the type of dizziness.
The doctor will usually check the pulse and blood pressure and may also carry out an ECG. Such routine examinations serve to identify obvious causes such as
- Blood pressure disorders,
- heart problems or
- anaemia
can be ruled out.
In subsequent neurological tests, balance is checked. A common method is to have the patient stand on one leg with their eyes closed. Gait tests complete the procedure.
The doctor can also use a range of hearing tests. The sense of balance has a similar neural pathway to the brain as the sense of hearing. This is why balance problems can also be detected here. In some cases, brain waves are also measured.
There is no one-size-fits-all treatment method for dizziness problems. Depending on the diagnosis, the patient is treated individually. Severe dizzy spells are treated acutely with antivertiginosa (anti-dizziness medication).
Regulating medication is used for circulatory disorders or high blood pressure. Sport can also help. Physiotherapeutic treatment is considered, especially for problems with the cervical spine. Loosening and strengthening the spine also stabilizes the central nervous system. The nerves are released from tension and no longer cause impaired perception.
If the balance system is impaired, specific exercises are prescribed to improve coordination and promote balance. Accompanying balance exercises not only train the vestibular organs, they also ensure that the brain can cope better with vertigo conditions.
In addition, the patient is often responsible for their own behavior. Increased consumer behavior (alcohol, nicotine, drugs) or a poor diet have a negative impact on brain performance. A healthy lifestyle not only promotes resistance to illness, it also prevents vertigo attacks.