Vertigo

If you’ve ever felt suddenly dizzy, you have experienced vertigo. This condition involves brief episodes of mild to intense dizziness and is often due to a disturbance in the inner ear. In some cases, vertigo is caused by a central nervous system or brain disorder.

While dizziness is the primary symptom, there may also be hearing loss, tinnitus, a feeling of fullness in the ear. Nausea and vomiting can also occur.

You may experience vertigo when you lie down, turn over or sit up in bed. Others suddenly feel this dizziness when they stand up. Abnormal rhythmic eye movements (nystagmus) usually accompany the symptoms of vertigo.

You may find that symptoms of vertigo come and go, and may last less than one minute. Activities that bring about the signs and symptoms of vertigo can vary from person to person, but are almost always brought on by a change in the position of your head.

Treatment for Vertigo

While vertigo can be bothersome, it’s rarely serious. The exception is when vertigo makes you feel unsteady. This can increase the risk of falls.

You can receive effective treatment for vertigo from an ENT doctor. Your doctor will perform a series of tests to determine the cause of your dizziness.

During a physical examination, your doctor will look for:

• Signs of dizziness that are prompted by eye or head movements
• Dizziness with specific eye movements when you lie on your back
• Involuntary eye movements from side to side (nystagmus)
• Inability to control your eye movements

Additional tests will help your doctor determine the cause of vertigo:

• Electronystagmography (ENG) or videonystagmography (VNG)
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan

Vertigo typically disappears within a few weeks or months. However, you can learn techniques to help relieve vertigo sooner. Your doctor, audiologist or physical therapist may treat you with a series of movements known as the canalith repositioning procedure.

You can learn to do this procedure to clear up any dizziness problem at home. In rare situations, the doctor may recommend a surgical procedure in which a bone plug is used to block the portion of your inner ear that’s causing dizziness.

Contact our office:

To find out more about our Vertigo service, visit Dr. Schneiderman’s office located at 215 Union Avenue – Suite C, Bridgewater, NJ 08807, or book an appointment by calling us at (908) 725-5050.