Is vertigo a disease?
It’s not a disease but a feeling patient develops as a result of a disease. We need to treat the disease not the vertigo feeling.
Are vertigo, dizziness and imbalance same?
No, vertigo is a spinning sensation of the surrounding or self. Giddiness is feeling of light headedness, floating feeling. Balance problems is where person has difficulty in sitting, standing or walking, changing color of vision and black out is another similar complaint
What to suspect if you have vertigo?
If vertigo is occurring while sudden movements or turning of head it is likely to be Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) if vertigo is associated with hearing loss or ringing of one ear its likely to be a disease of inner ear- Meniere’s, labyrinthitis etc
if vertigo is severe even on resting still without moving in bed need to go to emergency medicine to rule out neurological cause
What is Disease locally known as ear balance?
it is being referred to BPPV, which is the commonest cause of vertigo
How is BPPV treated?
BPPV causes vertigo by movement of very small stones in semi-circular tubes in inner ear. There are 3 such tubes on each ear, so 6 in total
To test which tube is affected person is made in make sudden movements of head by sitting to lying position and back or sidewards movement. Once the tube has been identified the head is held by doctor and moved so that the stones move out of tubes. Once the stone is in a safe place the spinning sensation will disappear. This is known as Canololith Repositioning Manoeuvre (CRM) Epleys, barbeque, deep head hanging, semonts are CRM. Dix Halpike is the test for positional vertigo.
How is imbalance treated ?
Imbalance mostly need rehabilitations. Medical management of cause Vestibular rehabilitation done in stages
Any role for Surgery?
Not much except in refractory cases injections in ear are helpful for selected cases
Which scan needs to be taken for vertigo?
Diagnosis usually does not need CT or MRI Diagnosis is usually clinical with audiology in most peripheral vertigo. MRI is preferred in case suspecting neurological causes
Videonystagmography (VNG) is useful in rare cases and if testing done by assistants