RNS, Vertigo, Jan. 2005
2:07
http://www.med.umich.edu/opm/newspage/2004/hmvertigo.htm
Feeling dizzy? Like your head is spinning?
U-M expert offers help for vertigo sufferers
Balance problems have many causes and affect millions each year, but even serious cases can get help at specialized centers like U-M
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Lead: Imagine what it would be like to feel that dizzy and off-balance for minutes, hours, days — or even years. This kind of serious dizziness, called vertigo, makes life miserable for millions of people each year, and keeps some from driving or working. It starts without warning for no apparent reason, and comes and goes. But, doctors can help. Here is Erin Block with more.
TRT 2:07
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Many people with vertigo and related balance problems never get effective treatment, or even a firm diagnosis. They may not even seek a doctor's help. But it doesn't have to be this way. Doctors today understand far more about what causes balance problems, and can offer specialized testing and treatment to help. Anyone who experiences dizziness, especially more than a few times, should see their doctor about it.
Dr. Hussam El-Kashlan, M.D., medical director of the Vestibular Testing Center at the University of Michigan Health System talks about vertigo and its effects.
“Vertigo can be very debilitating. During the acute attack, that person that has the attack is totally incapacitated, pretty much. They cannot really do anything for themselves and they are basically bedridden or laying on the ground until the attack passes. Lots of times, it's also accompanied with other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, so it's really very debilitating.”
Why does this happen? There are actually many reasons — in fact, it's better to think of vertigo as a symptom of a problem, rather than a disease itself.
For instance, high blood pressure, caffeine, alcohol and nicotine can all cause a fleeting sense of dizziness with sudden movement. But most physicians blame the inner ear for most types of dizziness. Another common cause of vertigo, and one that can be sometimes under-recognized, is migraine. Migraine is a nervous system problem that can present in more ways than just headaches, including vertigo.
El-Kashlan says,
“People really should seek medical attention for any balance problem. If it's a problem of significant magnitude, if they really fell that they're falling, if they cant function or even if a minor problem, they see a minor problem that didn't exist before, if it persists more than a couple weeks, they should seek at least their primary care doctor and discuss that with them, and if it persists for longer, them they might seek specialized help.”
For many people appropriate attention to spells of dizziness or vertigo can lessen the impact on their life, and reduce the chance that they'll suffer repeated attacks in the future. Even people who have lived with dizziness for years without seeking medical help should talk with their doctors about how to keep vertigo from spinning them out of control.
Erin Block, U-M Health System News |
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