Combatting Vertigo Early Can Produce Good Results

You’re standing still, but the room is spinning. Your ears are ringing. You feel nauseated. Your eyes are making strange, jerking movements, and you feel like you’re going to fall at any minute. This is more than just simple dizziness. You’re suffering from vertigo. You’re not alone. Nearly 40 percent of adults have had the same experience. The causes behind dizziness fall into one of several categories, including: physiological vertigo, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, acute labyrinthitis, post-traumatic vertigo, vascular insufficiency and Meniere’s disease.

Most vertigo symptoms are caused by benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or BPPV. When you have BPPV, tiny calcium deposits called canaliths break free and float around inside your ear canal. These canaliths muddle the messages your inner ear is trying to transmit to your brain about balance, sending you into a tailspin.

Don’t let your life become like a scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo." Continue reading for more details about the signs, symptoms and natural treatments for vertigo and start regaining your balance today. Don't procrastinate. Researchers believe combating vertigo early can produce good results.

Signs of Vertigo

We've covered most of the causes of vertigo but what are the signs? The most common ones are:

• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Sweating
• A loss of balance or unsteadiness
• A sense that you or your surroundings are spinning or moving

You’ll want to describe your symptoms to your doctor. They will want to know what causes you to feel dizzy, as well as how long the symptoms last. Be sure to let her know about any medications, supplements, and vitamins you take.

Keep in mind that dizziness describes two feelings — lightheadedness and vertigo. When you’re lightheaded, you feel woozy and off balance. You might think you’re about to faint. Vertigo, on the other hand, is a feeling that you or the room is spinning and it may seem as if you’re falling or tilting to the side. It might be helpful to keep a diary of what happens each time you get dizzy. This way you’ll remember everything during your appointment.

Natural Treatments And Tips To Handle Vertigo

There are many things that can be done to try to combat vertigo. Some of these include: 

• The Epley maneuver — a series of head movements — is one common way to reduce the dizzy spells you get from vertigo. Ask your physician for a pamphlet with instructions or to guide you through a set of moves. After the procedure, do give the crystals time to settle in their proper place. Wait at least 10 minutes before having someone drive you home and try not to tilt your head during the day. Over the next 48 hours, sleep with the back of your head at a 45 degree angle.
• Bright lights, watching TV, and reading can all worsen vertigo symptoms. So avoid them during an attack.
• Researchers studied the effect of the herb ginkgo biloba on people who had been treated for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. They found that those who took the supplement recovered faster than those who didn’t.
• Give your nervous system a workout. Besides doing specific exercises for your dizziness, do aerobic exercise, like walking, several times a week. Active exercise has been found to help the body’s central nervous system recover from vertigo (the medical term for dizziness) more quickly.
• Wear bedroom slippers. Some people find that wearing thin-soled shoes helps them feel the ground better and retain their balance.
• Sleep on your good side. Use two or more pillows at night and avoid sleeping on the “bad” side. (Lying on one side usually makes you more dizzy than lying on the other.) Get out of bed slowly, and sit on the edge of the bed for a minute before standing up.
• Keep a straight head on your shoulders. Try to squat instead of bending over to pick things up, and use a step stool to see into cupboards instead of tipping your head back to look for things.