How to manage vertigo

Vertigo is the feeling of dizziness and loss of balance. The condition results from an issue affecting the inner ear, which is responsible for the stability of the entire body. Vertigo has several causes, including past head trauma, a viral infection, Meniere’s disease, Labyrinthitis, or Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV).

BPPV can be described as a situation when small particles of calcium accumulate and float in the inner ear causing dizziness as you move around.

Vertigo patients have trouble when it comes to sleeping. Before going to bed, avoid eating spicy food, don’t take caffeine, and avoid bright screens; these could trigger a sleepless night. To fall asleep faster, try the 4-7-8 breathing exercise; Inhale for a count of 4, hold your breath for a count of 7, then exhale completely (with a whooshing sound) for a count of 8.

As you go to bed, get the right pillow. You need a higher pillow. The higher your pillow is, the greater the angle to support your head. A wedge pillow is recommended for optimal support and an appropriate angle. Also, the travel pillows on airlines do great. You can support your body and prevent rolling over body pillows.

Adopting a good sleeping position is the other significant measure that helps a lot to provide comfort and curb the instances of dizziness. The position of your head determines how your night shall be. You should place your head strategically at an angle that won’t allow the troublesome debris from settling in the inner ear or fluid buildup. Add a second wedge pillow to prop up your head further.

BBPV treatment alongside proper sleeping habits will quicken recovery from vertigo.

 

Dealing with chronic back pain

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), Chronic back pain is a stubborn, persistent pain that lasts for 12 weeks or longer after treatment of an underlying cause of acute low back pain or an initial injury.

The symptoms of chronic back pain include.

  • Shooting/stabbing pain
  • Muscle ache
  • Pain that improves with reclining
  • Pain radiating down your leg
  • Pain that worsens with lifting, walking bending, or standing.

The common causes of chronic back pain include.

  • Muscle/ligament strain
  • Skeletal irregularities
  • Bulging/ruptured disks
  • Arthritis
  • Osteoporosis.

It is essential to be enlightened on the risk factors of back pains, including:

  • Advancing age – back pains are common at the age of 30+
  • Rapid weight gain and obesity
  • Pregnancy
  • Genetic influences
  • Fitness level
  • Smoking
  • Backpack overload
  • Occupational challenges – poor sitting posture in the workplace
  • Lack of exercise
  • Poor mental health – stress & depression

The primary form of treatment is physical activity. It can be realized through normal daily activities (rather than bed rest), physical therapy programs, and workouts.

To prevent back pain, practice the following body mechanisms.

  • Exercise regularly to keep your body fit – Low-impact exercises are recommended, such as walking, swimming, and aerobics. Back muscle and abdominal exercises make your muscles strong and flexible.
  • Keep your BMI normal – being overweight strains your back muscles.
  • Avoid strenuous movements – don’t slouch for long, sit with your knees & hips level, and lift manageable weights.

 

References

  1. https://www.sleepadvisor.org/sleep-with-vertigo/
  2. https://www.thesleepjudge.com/sleep-tips-for-vertigo/
  3. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/back-pain/symptoms-causes/syc-20369906

What is Vertigo?

Vertigo is a type of dizziness that is more common in older people. It is a false sensation of movement and in most common cases a person feels a spinning effect around them. It is very possible that neck pain might cause dizziness. However, it has not yet been made clear whether the neck pain and the dizziness are just coincidental or they are just related.

 

About Cervicogenic Dizziness

It has been known that the position of the head has an effect on the equilibrium but no one had come up with an explanation about a clinical syndrome that relates to neck pain and disequilibrium. With many diagnosis of the neck pathology such as cervical trauma, cervical arthritis and cervical spondolylosis, it was discovered that there was a syndrome known as cervical vertigo.

 

Does Anxiety Make Vertigo Worse?

Anxiety attacks often lead to hyperventilation which can cause vertigo. It might also lead to dizziness, weakness and difficulty thinking. Another factor that might cause vertigo is stress; because it increases the level of anxiety. In most cases, panic disorders and anxiety usually appear together with dizziness and vertigo. There are some mechanisms you can use to decrease anxiety and vertigo. These include:

  • Meditation-instead of just clearing your mind you can use a better technic which is meditation. You can focus on the good or positive things in your life and by doing so, you will reduce the stress levels in your body. You can start with a few sessions and gradually increase to more sessions with time.
  • Exercises-there are some specific exercises that can make you feel good in general. This is because exercises create endorphins and they increase a person’s blood flow in the body.
  • Sharing-in most cases, people suffer from stress because of bottling everything. The best way to overcome this is by talking about your problems with a friend or a counselor. This will help reduce the anxiety levels in your body.

 

This disorder has a very controversial diagnosis since there are no tests that can actually confirm that main cause of the dizziness. Mostly the diagnosis is given to people who have suffered from neck injury or neck pain. It might also be given to those who have dizziness. People with this disorder tend to feel dizziness that gets worse as the head movements increase or after they have maintained a certain head position for a long time. This dizziness is accompanied by a headache in most cases and the symptoms might last for minutes or hours.

 

Patients with vertigo also complain about imbalance that increases with head movements. Once you have realized you have these symptoms you should go for an evaluation where he doctor will perform certain tests.

 

Treatment of Vertigo

In many patients, the improvement of the dizziness, usually involves improving the neck problem. You can be advised to carry out some balance exercises, eye exercises, walking, and exposure to new environments.

 

bppv1Some of us love theme parks, we love the feel of being throw upside down, whizzing through the air, screaming at the top of our lungs, and enjoying the adrenaline rush that comes with it. Now, whilst that is all very well and good, imagine life on a rollercoaster for much of the time, with that nauseous and totally dizzy feeling never really easing – not so enjoyable now, right?

If you’ve ever suffered from a vertigo attack then you will understand this feeling all too well.

Dizziness and vertigo is a very real problem, and for those who suffer with it, life can be very unpleasant at times. One particular type of dizziness and vertigo condition is called benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or BPPV for short, and this is traditionally difficult to diagnose, leaving sufferers frustrated, and often feeling like they have to live with the symptoms, and simply put up with them – this needn’t be the case.

What is BPPV?

BPPV is one of the most common types of vertigo, and is often one of the reasons why an individual is referred to a neurologist for further tests and treatment. The symptoms of this condition can be wide-reaching, but they all affect daily life to a large degree. Feeling constantly off-balance, nauseous, and dizzy can affect daily life, and even the smallest of tasks can become somewhat more difficult. Work is also affected, which causes even further problems and stress. On top of this, BPPV has been shown to be a contributor towards psychological problems, thanks to the stress and upset the condition can cause.

BPPV occurs when debris, called endolymphatic debris, settles and builds up in the semi-circular canals within the middle ear. Any distortion or upset in this area of the ear causes problems with balance, which leads to dizziness and vertigo. Diagnosis of this condition is often time-consuming, leaving the sufferer with the symptoms for a longer period of time.

Diagnosis itself requires the individual to have suffered from five vertigo attacks, all of which lasted for just a few seconds, no more than one minute, without any other symptoms of a neurological manner, caused by changes in head position, which obviously means the debris which has built up in the ear moves around.

How is BPPV treated?

Thankfully, once diagnosis is made, treatment is relatively straightforward for the individual, and takes the form of highly complex positional manoeuvres, carried out by a trained chiropractor. These manoeuvres have rather technical names, including the Epley, Semont, and Gufoni manoeuvres. These movements work to move the debris away from the semi-circular canals of the ear, which clears the symptoms and relieves the problem.

On top of these manoeuvres, visual exercises can be used to help ease dizziness symptoms and bring harmony back to balance.

There is no reason to suffer in silence, so if you are at all worried about dizziness and vertigo, whether you believe this is down to BPPV or another form of vertigo, don’t hesitate to contact us today.