Our ears are an integral part of our body that often gets taken for granted. Not many people know that your ears play a big role in your balance. Occasional dizziness is very common in adults, but it may surprise you to learn that vertigo, a related but more serious condition can make you feel like the room is spinning as you stand still.
Vertigo is categorized largely by its main symptom, dizziness. Some people with vertigo experienced such severe dizziness that they cannot stand up without fear of falling because the room they are in appears to be spinning. These symptoms can range from just being a nuisance to seriously impairing one’s quality of life. While dizziness can make you feel momentarily unbalanced, and ranges in severity from merely annoying to seriously debilitating, vertigo may be a major symptom of a balance disorder which can also cause nausea and vomiting.
Here are several facts about dizziness and vertigo:
- Vertigo is a condition in which you feel off-balance and dizzy, as if you or your surroundings are moving, spinning, or swaying.
- The organ of balance is the vestibular system in the ear, a tiny grid of fluid-filled tubes and sacs.
- Vertigo is the primary symptom of any balance disorder.
- According to recent studies, vertigo affects nearly 40 percent of people over 40 at least once.
- Many diseases can cause dizziness, especially diseases that involve poor circulation and low blood pressure.
- Many cases of vertigo, even severe vertigo, such as in labyrinthitis, clear up on their own, but it usually takes time.
- Major causes of vertigo include the following: benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, head trauma, labyrinthitis, neuronitis, and Ménière’s disease.
- Some antibiotics can damage the vestibular system in high doses or with prolonged use.
- Vertigo is most common in elderly people, but it can affect both sexes at any age.
- Vertigo may be a temporary or permanent condition.
Some types of vertigo will disappear without treatment, and even where the type of vertigo has a simple and effective treatment, patients may prefer to take the watchful waiting route. If you suffer from balance problems or have concerns about your ears and would like to speak one an experienced hearing care professional, contact us today!