What are the most effective medications for dizziness. How do vestibular rehabilitation therapies compare to pharmaceutical treatments. Which diagnostic approaches are crucial for addressing vertigo symptoms. When should patients seek specialized care for persistent dizziness.

Understanding Dizziness and Vertigo: Causes and Symptoms

Dizziness and vertigo are common yet complex conditions that affect millions of people worldwide. These sensations can significantly impact quality of life, making everyday tasks challenging and sometimes even dangerous. But what exactly causes these disorienting experiences?

Dizziness is often described as a feeling of lightheadedness, unsteadiness, or a sense of spinning. Vertigo, a specific type of dizziness, creates the illusion that you or your surroundings are moving or spinning. These symptoms can stem from various sources, including:

• Inner ear disorders (e.g., BPPV, Ménière’s disease)
• Neurological issues
• Cardiovascular problems
• Medication side effects
• Dehydration or low blood sugar
• Stress and anxiety

Understanding the root cause of dizziness is crucial for effective treatment. While many people turn to quick fixes like over-the-counter medications, addressing the underlying issue often requires a more comprehensive approach.

Common Medications for Dizziness: Benefits and Limitations

When faced with dizziness, many individuals reach for readily available medications. While these can provide temporary relief, it’s essential to understand their benefits and limitations.

Over-the-Counter Options

Several OTC medications are commonly used to alleviate dizziness symptoms:

• Meclizine (Antivert, Bonine)
• Dimenhydrinate (Dramamine)
• Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)

These antihistamines work by suppressing the vestibular system, which can reduce the sensation of dizziness. However, they often cause drowsiness and are not suitable for long-term use.

Prescription Medications

In more severe cases, doctors may prescribe stronger medications:

• Promethazine
• Scopolamine patches
• Benzodiazepines (in specific cases)

These medications can be more effective for acute episodes but carry a higher risk of side effects and potential for dependency.

Are medications a long-term solution for dizziness? While they can provide relief, especially in acute situations, relying on medications alone often masks the underlying problem without addressing its root cause. This approach can lead to prolonged suffering and potentially worsen the condition over time.

The Importance of Proper Diagnosis in Treating Dizziness

Accurate diagnosis is the cornerstone of effective dizziness treatment. Many patients struggle to find answers due to the complexity of balance disorders and the similarity of symptoms across different conditions.

Why is diagnosis so challenging? Dizziness can be a symptom of various underlying conditions, ranging from inner ear disorders to neurological issues. Additionally, the subjective nature of dizziness makes it difficult for patients to accurately describe their symptoms.

To overcome these challenges, a comprehensive diagnostic approach is essential. This typically involves:

1. Detailed medical history assessment
2. Physical examination, including balance and gait tests
3. Specialized vestibular function tests
4. Imaging studies (when necessary)

Who should patients consult for proper diagnosis? While primary care physicians can provide initial assessments, complex cases often require the expertise of specialists such as vestibular audiologists, ENT doctors, or neurologists specializing in balance disorders.

Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy: A Natural Approach to Dizziness Treatment

Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy (VRT) has emerged as a highly effective, non-pharmaceutical approach to treating many forms of dizziness and vertigo. This specialized form of physical therapy aims to retrain the brain’s ability to process balance information and compensate for vestibular deficits.

Key Components of VRT

VRT typically includes a combination of exercises and techniques:

• Gaze stabilization exercises
• Balance training
• Habituation exercises
• Canalith repositioning procedures (for BPPV)

How effective is VRT compared to medications? Studies have shown that VRT can be more effective than medication alone for many types of dizziness, particularly in achieving long-term relief and improving overall balance function.

Who can benefit from VRT? This therapy is particularly effective for conditions such as:

• Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)
• Vestibular neuritis
• Bilateral vestibular hypofunction
• Persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD)

VRT’s success lies in its ability to address the root cause of dizziness rather than simply masking symptoms. By promoting neuroplasticity, it helps the brain adapt and compensate for vestibular deficits, leading to sustainable improvement in balance and reduced dizziness symptoms.

Specialized Treatments for Specific Dizziness Conditions

While general approaches like medications and VRT are beneficial for many dizziness cases, certain conditions require more targeted interventions. Understanding these specialized treatments is crucial for patients seeking comprehensive care.

Ménière’s Disease

This inner ear disorder, characterized by episodes of vertigo, hearing loss, and tinnitus, often requires a multifaceted approach:

• Dietary modifications (low-salt diet)
• Diuretics
• Vestibular suppressants during acute attacks
• In severe cases, intratympanic steroid injections or surgical interventions

Vestibular Migraine

For individuals experiencing dizziness associated with migraines, treatment may include:

• Prophylactic medications (e.g., beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers)
• Lifestyle modifications
• Vestibular rehabilitation tailored for migraine patients

Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness (PPPD)

This chronic condition often responds well to a combination of:

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy
• Specialized vestibular rehabilitation
• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)

Why is a personalized treatment approach important? Each dizziness condition has unique characteristics and underlying mechanisms. Tailoring treatment to the specific diagnosis ensures the most effective outcome and reduces the risk of unnecessary medication use or ineffective therapies.

The Role of Lifestyle Modifications in Managing Dizziness

While medical treatments play a crucial role in addressing dizziness, lifestyle modifications can significantly impact symptom management and overall well-being. These changes can complement other treatments and, in some cases, reduce reliance on medications.

Dietary Considerations

Certain dietary choices can influence dizziness symptoms:

• Reducing salt intake (particularly important for Ménière’s disease)
• Limiting caffeine and alcohol consumption
• Staying well-hydrated
• Identifying and avoiding trigger foods (especially for vestibular migraines)

Stress Management

Stress can exacerbate dizziness symptoms. Effective stress reduction techniques include:

• Mindfulness meditation
• Regular exercise
• Adequate sleep
• Breathing exercises

Environmental Modifications

Creating a supportive environment can help manage symptoms:

• Improving lighting to reduce visual triggers
• Removing tripping hazards to prevent falls
• Using assistive devices when necessary

How significant are these lifestyle changes? For many patients, these modifications can lead to substantial improvements in symptom frequency and severity. They also empower individuals to take an active role in their treatment, fostering a sense of control over their condition.

Emerging Technologies and Future Directions in Dizziness Treatment

The field of vestibular medicine is constantly evolving, with new technologies and treatment approaches offering hope for more effective dizziness management. Staying informed about these advancements can help patients and healthcare providers make better-informed decisions about treatment options.

Virtual Reality in Vestibular Rehabilitation

Virtual reality (VR) technology is increasingly being integrated into vestibular rehabilitation programs. This approach offers several advantages:

• Customizable and immersive environments for balance training
• Precise tracking of patient movements and progress
• Increased patient engagement and motivation

Vestibular Implants

For patients with severe bilateral vestibular loss, vestibular implants are showing promise:

• Similar to cochlear implants, these devices aim to restore vestibular function
• Early clinical trials have shown improvements in balance and quality of life

Genetic Therapies

Research into the genetic basis of vestibular disorders is opening new avenues for treatment:

• Gene therapies for hereditary vestibular conditions are in development
• These approaches could potentially correct underlying genetic defects causing dizziness

How might these advancements change dizziness treatment in the future? As these technologies mature, they have the potential to offer more personalized, effective treatments with fewer side effects. They may also provide options for patients who have not responded well to traditional therapies.

Navigating the Healthcare System: Finding the Right Care for Dizziness

Effectively managing dizziness often requires navigating a complex healthcare system. Understanding how to access the right care can significantly impact treatment outcomes and quality of life for those suffering from dizziness and vertigo.

Choosing the Right Healthcare Provider

Different specialists play crucial roles in dizziness management:

• Primary Care Physicians: Often the first point of contact, they can provide initial assessments and referrals
• Vestibular Audiologists: Specialists in diagnosing and treating inner ear-related balance disorders
• ENT Doctors (Otolaryngologists): Experts in ear, nose, and throat conditions, including many causes of dizziness
• Neurologists: Crucial for diagnosing and treating dizziness related to neurological conditions

Coordinating Care

Managing dizziness often requires a multidisciplinary approach. Effective care coordination involves:

• Clear communication between different healthcare providers
• Comprehensive sharing of diagnostic results and treatment plans
• Patient advocacy to ensure all aspects of the condition are addressed

Advocating for Yourself

Patients play a crucial role in their own care. Tips for effective self-advocacy include:

• Keeping detailed records of symptoms and triggers
• Preparing questions for healthcare providers before appointments
• Seeking second opinions when necessary
• Staying informed about your condition and treatment options

Why is finding the right care so important? Dizziness can be a complex and challenging condition to diagnose and treat. Working with the appropriate specialists and actively participating in your care can lead to more accurate diagnoses, more effective treatments, and improved overall outcomes.

In conclusion, managing dizziness and vertigo requires a comprehensive approach that goes beyond simple medication use. From accurate diagnosis to specialized treatments like Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy, and from lifestyle modifications to emerging technologies, there are many avenues for effectively addressing these challenging symptoms. By understanding the various treatment options and working closely with healthcare providers, patients can find relief and improve their quality of life. As research continues to advance our understanding of vestibular disorders, the future holds promise for even more effective and personalized treatments for those suffering from dizziness and vertigo.

Medications for Dizziness – And Other Vertigo Treatments

As creatures of habit, we prefer the easiest solution. It doesn’t matter if it’s the best solution. As long as it requires the least amount of effort. That’s why there exists an entire class of medications for dizziness which are widely prescribed and used.

Ironically, there’s a long list of medications that cause dizziness. But that’s beside the point.

Are over-the-counter medications for dizziness effective? Sometimes. Are they something you should use long-term? Most certainly not.

However, many dizzy patients find themselves using OTC dizziness medications for years of their lives without ever getting the proper treatment.

Medications for Dizziness

Undoubtedly, the pharmaceutical industry has developed some great medications for dizziness. We cannot deny that. And they can be used short-term on patients who are really in a bad state.

These are some of the most widely-used medications for short term dizziness:

• Meclizine
• Promethazine
• Bonine
• Antivert
• Dramamine

However, these dizziness medications are a band-aid solution. An accessible, temporary fix that only temporarily alleviates symptoms.

Using over-the-counter medications for dizziness is like patching a hole on your roof with paper towels. It might work for a day or a couple of hours, but you’re committing to changing those paper towels every day… And who wants to do that?!

There are too many types of dizziness and sources of dizziness to just take a pill and expect it to solve your problems. For instance, you might be taking Antivert when your dizziness is actually caused by high blood pressure. So what’s the right way to treat dizziness?

When working with your physician and knowledgeable vestibular specialists, it will be determined if medications are necessary and the potential risk certain medications can have on slowing down the vestibular compensation process. 

There are a few classes of prescription medications useful in the treatment of vertigo. And working with your physician will determine what specific regimen makes the most sense for your cause of symptoms.

They can be used to alter the severity of symptoms (a good example of this would be when vestibular suppressants like anticholinergics and benzodiazepines are used for Ménière’s disease and briefly used for vestibular neuritis), or when prescribed to address the underlying cause of migraine associated vertigo (prophylactic agents L-channel calcium channel antagonists, beta-blockers and tricyclic antidepressants). 

For BPPV and bilateral vestibular disorders, medications (over-the-counter or prescription) are not currently recommended and starting vestibular rehabilitation therapy is vital.

The Right Way to Treat Dizziness

First and foremost, if you experience frequent dizzy or vertigo spells, then you need to find the right doctor to diagnose your problem. Unfortunately, too often, people visit the wrong doctors to treat their dizziness. That’s why there’s The Dizzy Diagnosis Conundrum: Why Dizzy Patients Struggle to Get Answers.

Following up with your primary care physician and getting medical clearance is important. Once your doctor has evaluated you, following up with the right doctor for dizziness is a Vestibular Audiologist, such as the team at the Dizzy & Vertigo Institute.

Vestibular Audiologists have the proper equipment to pinpoint the source of many types of dizziness. Whether it’s coming from the inner ear, the brain stem and nervous system, or even from other causes (hydration, blood pressure, stress, etc.). Vestibular Audiologists specialize in dizziness.

Fixing dizziness longterm happens through Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy. It’s a program that encompasses recalibrating the input the brain takes in between the ears, eyes and muscles through Visual Desentization, Optokinetic Exposure, Gaze Stabilization, Habituation and/or Canalith Repositioning. All of which are used to naturally reset your balance system and build your body’s ability to reset its own balance.

To understand our process for treating dizzy patients in detail, head over to this article: How We Treat Dizziness – What To Expect Working with the Dizzy & Vertigo Institute.

We know that life is hectic. And adding dizziness on top of it only makes things worse. So, we understand why you might be tempted to reach for Antivert or Dramamine. But there’s a better, long-lasting solution out there for you. And it starts with a consultation at the Dizzy & Vertigo Institute.

You can reach us at (310) 954-2207 or by filling out our contact form.

We’re standing by, ready to help!

List of 11 Vertigo Medications Compared

Other names: Balance Disorder; Benign Positional Vertigo; BPV; Dizziness; Lightheadedness, dizzy; Loss of balance

An illusion of movement, a sensation as if the external world were revolving around the patient

Drugs used to treat Vertigo

The following list of medications are in some way related to or used in the treatment of this condition.

Select drug class
All drug classesAntihistamines (5)Phenothiazine antiemetics (5)Anticholinergic antiemetics (6)

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Brands and Generics
Brands and genericsBrandsGenerics

Include off-label drugs
Include off-label drugsApprovedOff-label

Rx and OTC
Rx and OTCRxOTC

Frequently asked questions

• How long does amlodipine stay in your system?
• What is betahistine used for?

Learn more about Vertigo

Care guides

• Dizziness
• Vertigo

Symptoms and treatments

• Vertigo

Legend

Rating	For ratings, users were asked how effective they found the medicine while considering positive/adverse effects and ease of use (1 = not effective, 10 = most effective).
Activity	Activity is based on recent site visitor activity relative to other medications in the list.
Rx	Prescription only.
OTC	Over-the-counter.
Rx/OTC	Prescription or Over-the-counter.
Off-label	This medication may not be approved by the FDA for the treatment of this condition.
EUA	An Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) allows the FDA to authorize unapproved medical products or unapproved uses of approved medical products to be used in a declared public health emergency when there are no adequate, approved, and available alternatives.
Expanded Access	Expanded Access is a potential pathway for a patient with a serious or immediately life-threatening disease or condition to gain access to an investigational medical product (drug, biologic, or medical device) for treatment outside of clinical trials when no comparable or satisfactory alternative therapy options are available.

Pregnancy Category
A	Adequate and well-controlled studies have failed to demonstrate a risk to the fetus in the first trimester of pregnancy (and there is no evidence of risk in later trimesters).
B	Animal reproduction studies have failed to demonstrate a risk to the fetus and there are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women.
C	Animal reproduction studies have shown an adverse effect on the fetus and there are no adequate and well-controlled studies in humans, but potential benefits may warrant use in pregnant women despite potential risks.
D	There is positive evidence of human fetal risk based on adverse reaction data from investigational or marketing experience or studies in humans, but potential benefits may warrant use in pregnant women despite potential risks.
X	Studies in animals or humans have demonstrated fetal abnormalities and/or there is positive evidence of human fetal risk based on adverse reaction data from investigational or marketing experience, and the risks involved in use in pregnant women clearly outweigh potential benefits.
N	FDA has not classified the drug.

Controlled Substances Act (CSA) Schedule
M	The drug has multiple schedules. The schedule may depend on the exact dosage form or strength of the medication.
U	CSA Schedule is unknown.
N	Is not subject to the Controlled Substances Act.
1	Has a high potential for abuse. Has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States. There is a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision.
2	Has a high potential for abuse. Has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States or a currently accepted medical use with severe restrictions. Abuse may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence.
3	Has a potential for abuse less than those in schedules 1 and 2. Has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States. Abuse may lead to moderate or low physical dependence or high psychological dependence.
4	Has a low potential for abuse relative to those in schedule 3. It has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States. Abuse may lead to limited physical dependence or psychological dependence relative to those in schedule 3.
5	Has a low potential for abuse relative to those in schedule 4. Has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States. Abuse may lead to limited physical dependence or psychological dependence relative to those in schedule 4.

Further information

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.

Medical Disclaimer

How to quickly relieve dizziness at home. What to do?

How to quickly relieve dizziness at home. What to do?

Gimranov Rinat Fazylzhanovich
Neurologist, neurophysiologist, experience – 33 years;
Professor of Neurology, MD;
Clinic for Rehabilitation Neurology. About the author

Publication date: April 24, 2021

Updated: July 21, 2022

Dizziness is a common phenomenon that can occur at any time for anyone. It is experienced by people of both sexes and all ages. And it will be useful for everyone to know how to quickly relieve severe dizziness at home, provide first aid, treat and get rid of seizures in the future.

At the same time, it is worth remembering that such a symptom can be caused by both a slight indisposition and a serious illness that requires treatment under the supervision of a doctor [1]. It is not so easy to understand the seriousness of the situation by the accompanying signs and the frequency of attacks of dizziness.

Contents of the article:

• 1 Why is my head spinning?
• 2 First aid
• 3 Dangerous symptoms
• 4 Modern methods of treatment
• 5 Effective folk remedies
• 6 Prevention and advice from experts
• 7 References

Why is my head spinning?

In order to find an effective way of therapy, you need to understand what leads to a feeling of spinning in the head.

Once you know the exact cause, you can decide what to do if a person’s head is very strong and constantly spinning, how to treat such a condition and how to get rid of complications after an illness.

Common causes of seizures:

1. Oxygen deprivation due to being in an unventilated room or in the mountains, in an atmosphere of rarefied air.

1. Severe stress caused by a feeling of fear or excitement, sometimes even positive.

1. During diet or fasting. Including when the level of glucose in the blood decreases.

1. Women have periods of hormonal instability. Seizures often occur during pregnancy and menopause.

1. With anemia – anemia, low hemoglobin, severe blood loss.

1. Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.

1. Severe physical or mental fatigue.

1. Dehydration, lack of water in the body.

1. Blood pressure surges. This symptom occurs both with a decrease in indicators and with their increase.

1. The development of neoplasms in the brain in the area responsible for balance. Bacterial and viral infections.

1. Heat or sunstroke.

1. Migraines, hemicranial attacks [2].

In case of negative impact of certain external factors, it is not difficult to get rid of the unpleasant feeling on your own. However, with the development of a full-fledged pathology of internal organs, it will not be possible to do without the help of professional medicine.

First Aid

Since unpleasant and even life-threatening sensations can overtake at the most unforeseen moment, it does not hurt to know what to do about dizziness and how to quickly eliminate it.

Outwardly, a person may turn red or pale, begin to move with excessive caution, stagger or even fall [3].

In the first minutes you need to provide the simplest help. Lay the person on his back and raise his head, ensure the flow of fresh air into the room. A cold compress on the forehead from a damp towel or something icy will help.

If after a few minutes the condition does not improve, the person does not come to his senses, call an ambulance.

We will also describe an algorithm of actions that will help you cope with the problem on your own:

• If you cannot maintain an upright position, bend over and try to rest your forehead on your knees. This posture increases blood flow to the brain tissues and restores their nutrition.

• Drink a glass of cool water or warm sweet tea to combat dehydration.

• Find a fixed point on the floor or ceiling. Focus on her. Force yourself to see only her. This will allow the visual and vestibular analyzers to synchronize and end the attack.

• Try to breathe calmly and deeply, go out into the fresh air to saturate the blood with oxygen.

• Eat something sweet. Often, dizziness begins due to a drop in blood glucose levels.

• If you have previously been diagnosed with BPPV, do a set of exercises to stabilize your well-being.

With a progressive deterioration in well-being, the appearance of nausea and vomiting with a headache, urgent medical care is required [4].

It is impossible to use medications without knowing exactly what is happening to the person.

This can only worsen his condition. Take only medications that have already been prescribed by your doctor during an attack.

Dangerous symptoms

In some cases, trying to solve a problem at home is not very successful.

This usually occurs when an attack is caused by serious diseases or pathologies. Then people ask themselves the question: “What should be done if severe dizziness does not go away during home treatment, nothing helps, what then should be taken?”

The only correct answer is simple: seek help from a clinic as soon as possible.

The state of health should be considered dangerous if symptoms appear simultaneously with dizziness:

1. If the head is spinning without stopping for more than an hour, and the usual methods to cope with the situation do not help.
2. With an attack comes a feeling of nausea, up to vomiting.
3. Feeling unwell becomes regular, recurs up to several times a week, combined with weakness.
4. Accompanied by severe headache. Especially in the morning after waking up.
5. High body temperature appears.
6. Severe drop or rise in blood pressure.
7. Speech is impaired, the ability to think, orientation in time are reduced.

1. Excessive sweating and palpitations appear.
2. Darkness in the eyes, pre-fainting.
3. Pain in the chest area.

If at least one of the above symptoms appears, you should immediately seek medical help[5]!

Modern methods of treatment

After passing the diagnosis and identifying the main cause of poor health, the doctor prescribes a course of medication. Which is usually done at home.

The list of drugs will include not only those that stop a specific symptom, but also those that affect the disease or developed pathology. When handling such complaints, they may appoint:

• Medicines for motion sickness and motion sickness. It is used if a person has a weak vestibular apparatus that requires regular training and support.
• Medicines that stabilize blood pressure. Then, when its changes are the cause of poor health.

• Tranquilizers, nootropics, antidepressants are prescribed if the main cause of unpleasant sensations is hidden in the mental state of a person. Regular stress or excessive nervousness can negatively affect your well-being.
• Antihistamines.

• Antiemetics if headache and nausea occur along with dizziness.
• Painkillers if dizziness is a precursor to the onset of a migraine attack.

In each case, medicines are selected individually, taking into account the characteristics of the patient only by a doctor. Taking pills on your own, without diagnosis and appointment by a specialist, is dangerous.

Treatment of migraine with monoclonal antibodies helps to get rid of migraine attacks. In difficult cases, the patient has to be referred for microsurgical interventions [6].

Effective folk remedies

How to deal with dizziness at home and cure it, stop attacks and alleviate the condition, people have been thinking for a long time. Therefore, today we have a baggage of valuable effective folk recipes.

The most effective ways to get rid of dizziness at home:

• Almonds are rich in vitamins, their regular use will help get rid of symptoms that appear due to starvation or lack of nutrients.
• Essential oils used for aromatizing a room or when taking a bath are an effective means of correcting well-being. Oils of lemon, peppermint, lavender and ginger will be effective.
• Keep track of your fluid intake. Dehydration must not be allowed. Regularly drunk clean cool water can save you from an attack.

• Ginger tea. Immerse the root in boiling water for 5 minutes, and then add a spoonful of honey to the decoction. Take a drink twice a day, and you can forget about problems with your head.
• Infusion of hawthorn. Crushed berries are poured with boiling water and infused for 15 minutes, then filtered. Drink the resulting drink twice a day.

Prevention and advice from specialists

Most people will get rid of discomfort by normalizing the daily routine and making adjustments to their lifestyle. If dizziness and its accompanying symptoms are not caused by a serious illness, then a few simple tips from specialists will help to forget about them forever:

• Follow the daily routine. Go to bed and get up at the same time, make sure you get enough sleep. At the same time, do not make too long intervals between periods of rest.
• Watch your diet. It should contain a sufficient amount of nutrients, and meals are evenly distributed throughout the entire time of wakefulness. It is important not to starve or overeat. As the main products, choose dishes rich in useful elements and vitamins.
• Physical activity should be present in the life of every person. Even if you are a sedentary worker, a little daily gymnastics will keep your body in good shape and save you from many problems. In parallel, you should not get carried away with heavy loads, as they can also cause ailments [7].

• Courses of massage and self-massage will help during attacks and after them. A slight stimulation of the temples and the back of the head will relieve discomfort, and a visit to a professional massage therapist will relieve some of the problems with blood vessels and nerves.
• Regular walks in the fresh air, allowing you to saturate the blood with the necessary amount of oxygen and at the same time have a calming effect on the human nervous system.

The best way to overcome the problem is to prevent it, to eliminate the causes of dizziness. Especially when it requires a little change in your life for the better.

References

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Dizziness: symptoms, treatment, causes

Dizziness (another name is vertigo) – this is how the disorientation of the body relative to the surrounding space is determined. In this state, a person has a feeling that everything revolves around him: the room, objects, walls. Everyone who is overtaken by dizziness, it causes different sensations – a feeling of intoxication, lightheadedness, instability.

The number of causes that cause dizziness exceeds 80. Some of these causes may be present in the patient at the same time, which makes it very difficult to establish the true source of dizziness. In most cases, dizziness occurs against the background of fairly harmless things: a person is sick in a transport, he has not eaten for a long time or is overtired. However, there are cases when dizziness indicates the presence of a serious illness.

Classification

Currently, it is customary to distinguish two groups into which dizziness is divided.

• Central vertigo – occurs in diseases of the brain and disorders in its work.
• Peripheral – it is said when the inner ear and vestibular nerve are irritated, or there are signs of their damage.

A separate group is systemic and non-systemic, i.e. physiological dizziness.

If the work of the vestibular, visual and muscular systems of a person is disturbed, they speak of systemic dizziness. This condition requires very careful diagnosis and complex treatment.

Non-systemic dizziness has completely different causes – neurogenic. It can be stress, and a lack of glucose in the blood, which leads to starvation or an improper diet, and overwork. Children begin to feel dizzy due to long rides on carousels, many people experience bouts of dizziness due to motion sickness on public or sea transport. This condition does not have any serious reasons at its core, and soon everything passes.

Well, those people who have vertigo attacks occur against the background of any diseases need to undergo a special examination to clarify the true cause.

Types of dizziness in various diseases

If dizziness is caused by a disease, then it will be accompanied by the corresponding symptoms of a particular disease. Now consider the characteristic signs for some diseases that can cause vertigo attacks in a person.

Diseases of the inner ear and inflammatory processes in it. Here, in addition to dizziness, the patient will have specific discharge from the ears and reduced auditory sensitivity. The formation of sulfuric plugs in the ear canals is also one of the causes of dizziness.

If a person has Meniere’s disease, attacks of dizziness are quite strong and frequent. In addition, other symptoms are observed: hearing worsens, noise in the ear occurs, vomiting or nausea appears.

With vestibular neuritis, dizziness usually increases if the person stood up abruptly or turned his head.

Cerebral hemorrhage or stroke. One of the most dangerous causes of dizziness. A person’s head begins to spin sharply, and this state lasts for a long time. Along with an attack of vertigo, weakness appears, speech is disturbed, there is no sensitivity in the muscles, coordination and vision are disturbed.

For dizziness in cervical osteochondrosis, amplifications are characteristic during head movement. Unsteady gait, loss of orientation, pain in the neck can also be observed.

Such a source of dizziness as the formation of a tumor in the brain is characterized by gradually increasing attacks of vertigo, with severe headaches and the development of one-sided deafness.

Constant tinnitus, dizziness, and severe hearing loss on one side are symptoms of a perilymphatic fistula.

Weakness and nausea, coupled with dizziness, occur after damage to the spine and head injuries.

If the attacks of dizziness are aggravated by the fact that a person has changed the position of the body, then we are talking about benign positional vertigo.

Basilar migraine – the head begins to spin long before the attack of the migraine itself, there are also neurological symptoms: nausea, blackouts, tinnitus, vomiting.

Some medications can cause dizziness as a side effect. Passes after discontinuation of the drug.

Dizziness during menstruation and menopause

Women have their own reasons for dizziness. They are associated with hormonal changes in the body during PMS, menopause or pregnancy. The rapid loss of hemoglobin by the female body on critical days often leads to anemia and lack of oxygen in the brain. It is these reasons that lead to dizziness, depression, a sharp change in mood. With the advent of menopause, a woman’s body undergoes serious changes, which are accompanied by pressure surges and increased excitability of the autonomic nervous system.

Dizziness in the elderly

The causes of dizziness in the elderly should be singled out in a separate row. Age-related changes in the vestibular and cardiovascular systems, in the central nervous system, the nerves of the skull, the brain stem – all this leads to attacks of vertigo.

First aid

With severe attacks of dizziness, the victim must be given first aid. A person should take a horizontal position, take a few drops (8-10) of atropine 0.1% solution. And, of course, do not forget about the provision of fresh air. In some cases, it may be necessary to relieve nervous tension with the help of sedatives or tranquilizers.

Further assistance should be provided by a doctor. Only a specialist can identify the cause of dizziness and prescribe an effective treatment. It is quite possible that in order to clarify a more complete picture of the disease and an accurate diagnosis, it will be necessary to consult different doctors: a therapist, a neurologist, an endocrinologist, an otolaryngologist.

Drugs and preparations

Having established the cause of dizziness, the doctor draws up a treatment plan. In most cases, it is complex and consists of taking drugs to treat the underlying disease and relieve vertigo attacks. For these purposes, sedatives, antihistamines and antiemetics are prescribed.

Treatment with folk remedies

Fans of alternative medicine and folk remedies have their own recipes for relieving dizziness attacks. Effective in these cases are: ginger tea, carrot, beet and pomegranate juices. Drinking small portions of parsley seed tea throughout the day will stop the attack. Tea is brewed at the rate of 1 teaspoon of seeds per cup of boiling water and infused for 6-8 hours. Mint, lemon balm, lime blossom – teas made from these medicinal plants also have a positive effect in the treatment of dizziness.