What is Vertigo?
Let me begin by asking, who of you has ever experienced true vertigo or bouts of dizziness so bad, that you were unable to go to school or work?
Next, let me ask if you know what the vestibular system is?
For those that do not know what the vestibular system is, it includes the parts of the inner ear and brain which process the sensory information involved with controlling balance and eye movements. If something such as a disease or injury damages these processing areas, vestibular disorders can result. Vestibular disorders can also occur for unknown reasons.
Balance is defined in the Oxford dictionary as “an even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright and steady. ” A normal functioning balance system allows us to see clearly while moving, identify our body’s orientation with respect to gravity, determine our direction and speed of movement, and make lightning fast automatic postural adjustments to maintain posture and stability in various conditions and activities.Our balance is maintained by a complex set of sensorimotor control systems that include sensory input from the eyes, input from the muscles and joints, and input from the vestibular system. All of this input is then integrated, resulting in motor output back to the eye and to other muscles within the body. As mentioned at the start, injury, disease, certain drugs, or the aging process can affect one or more of these components. In addition to the contribution of sensory information, there may also be psychological factors such as anxiety that impair our sense of balance.Some of the most commonly diagnosed vestibular disorders include benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), labyrinthitis and vestibular neuritis, and Ménière’s disease.
For the record, if someone tells you that you have vertigo, it’s not a diagnosis, rather a symptom of something else going on.
Vertigo is defined as “a sensation of whirling and loss of balance, associated particularly with looking down from a great height, or caused by disease affecting the inner ear or the vestibular nerve.”
Its the feeling of a room spinning around you that can more often come on when changing positions or turning your head. Commonly, vertigo is a result of loose otoconia or crystals within the inner ear. These crystals lay in particular region of the vestibular system that helps to create a sense of gravity for the body.
Other common symptoms that may occur in conjunction with vertigo when suffering from a vestibular disorder include:
Dizziness
imbalance and disorientation or Disequilibrium
visual disturbances (diplopia, Oscillopsia)
Hearing changes (tinnitus, reduced hearing
Cognitive and psychological changes
Vestibular disorders can be treated. Some disorders can be treated with various maneuvers and combinations of exercise and vision therapy, while other specific disorders may require more intensive management involving certain medications or surgery to alleviate symptoms.
Stay tuned for more as I discuss the types of vestibular disorders that can affect people, and common treatments that can be done to assist in treating the issues.
If you want to learn more about these issues or have any other questions, feel free to reach out via email (arasruslys@gmail.com), instagram (@Ahh_rass_physio), or Facebook (Aras Ruslys- Physiotherapist).
Live active and prosper.
Aras Ruslys
Registered Physiotherapist
