You can very suddenly be knocked off your feet by vertigo. Frequently, dizziness and nausea are the first signs of vertigo. But severe vertigo can confuse the world to such an extent that it’s challenging to get from your couch to the bed.
When most individuals think about vertigo, they may naturally blame the disorder on the brain or eyes. This may seem reasonable because it’s your brain that makes you feel sick and your eyes that don’t see straight.
However, the real source of the problem is probably found not in your eyes but in your ears.
Your Ears Are Vital For Balance
It’s typical for people to describe vertigo as the feeling of loss of balance. Even though you’re standing on solid ground you feel like it’s spinning. And the blame probably lies deep within your ear, in an area unimaginatively (but accurately) called the inner ear. Both little hairs and fluid are contained within the canals of the inner ears.
Based on the location of the fluid in your ears, your brain can ascertain the orientation of your body. This system usually works so efficiently that you always know which way is up and which is down.
Until something goes wrong. Your brain can’t understand the signals when this system isn’t working right. This will result in vertigo.
What Could be Responsible For Your Vertigo?
There could be a number of things causing your vertigo if it’s related to your inner ear.
Fluid in the middle ear: A buildup of fluid in your middle ear can cause the entire system to go wonky and send confusing messages to your brain. An ear infection is one of several causes for this type of fluid accumulation. Sound is frequently muffled, like being underwater, when this is the source of your vertigo.
Dislodged middle ear crystals: You have tiny calcium crystals in your middle ear that help recognize movement. These crystals can sometimes get displaced and go into the inner ear which can then lead to loss of balance, nausea, and vertigo. These crystals are probably the source if your vertigo occurs when you turn your head or comes and goes for short periods.
Meniere’s Disease: Both hearing and balance can be impacted by this condition. Vertigo, hearing loss, (and nausea), and potentially migraines are some of the symptoms. Meniere’s develops gradually, but your physician or hearing specialist might be able to suggest therapies that can help you deal with symptoms.
Vestibular Neuritis: When your vertigo is severe and continuous, it’s likely you may be experiencing something called vestibular neuritis. This occurs when the nerve in the inner ear becomes inflamed. Vestibular neuritis is “self-limiting” because most experts believe it’s brought on by a virus or something similar. It might last for a few days or weeks and then go away.
These four conditions aren’t the only reasons why you might be experiencing vertigo or nausea. And there are other problems you can get in your middle ear that could trigger these symptoms. But these are some really common ones and they give you some idea of how problems in your middle can affect your wellbeing.
What Can You do?
So if you’re dizzy or are experiencing vertigo, what should you do? Give us a call. We can help figure out what’s causing it.