What is Vertigo?
Vertigo is a word that is used to describe an unpleasant sensation of dizziness that may make you feel like you are spinning, or you may feel like the room is spinning around you. If you have symptoms of vertigo, you should see one of New York’s top ENT doctors, Dr. Burnett, to determine what is causing your symptoms of vertigo and how you can best treat your problem.
Causes of Vertigo
There are several common causes of vertigo, which result from problems in the inner ear. Meniere’s disease is a disorder that is caused by fluid in the inner ear, which causes changing inner ear pressures that result in episodes of vertigo, hearing loss, and tinnitus, which is a ringing sensation in the ear. Vestibular neuritis is another inner ear problem that is sometimes known as labyrinthitis, and it causes vertigo by causing inflammation around the nerves of the inner ear that help your body establish balance. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the result of small calcium particles in the inner ear that become clumped together in the small canals of the ear. This causes the brain to get mixed signals about your body’s position and your head position, and can result in dizziness or feelings of vertigo. Vertigo can also be caused by an injury to the head or the neck, or by migraine headaches. On some occasions, a stroke or a brain tumor can result in vertigo, and there are medications that can damage the inner ear and that result in vertigo.
Symptoms of Vertigo
Some of the symptoms of vertigo that may be a reason for you to have your conditions evaluated by a top New York ENT doctor include spinning, tilting, and a feeling of being unbalanced in one direction or another. You may be nauseated, and vertigo can cause vomiting. If you are experiencing vertigo, you may also become sweaty during episodes, and you may have a headache, hearing loss, or ringing in the ears. Symptoms of vertigo should be diagnosed and treated by a top New York ENT doctor, like Dr. Burnett, who sees many patients suffering from vertigo from a variety of causes.
Treatment of Vertigo
When you are diagnosed with vertigo, it is important for your physician to determine the cause before you are treated. Many times, vertigo will resolve without treatment, as your brain adapts to changes in the inner ear and manages to restore balance through other mechanisms. However, if your vertigo is severe and does not resolve, you should call our office today for an appointment with Dr. Burnett. Treatments may include a type of physical therapy called vestibular rehabilitation, to restore your vestibular balance system. Medicine can relieve the symptoms of nausea and the motion sickness that accompany vertigo, and if you have an infection, you can be treated with antibiotics. Inflammation of the inner ear can be treated successfully in many cases by steroids, to reduce swelling.
Patients with Meniere’s disease may need a diuretic medication to reduce the pressure in the ear that is caused by buildup of fluid. If you need surgery, you will need to consult a top ENT surgeon. Call us today at 212-867-4813 so Dr. Burnett can evaluate the reason for your symptoms of vertigo and recommend appropriate treatment to restore your health.
