Don’t let vertigo take you for a spin
Dizziness, vertigo, and imbalance are all common complaints in consultation rooms worldwide; around 40% of people will experience these at some point during their lives. But what exactly is vertigo, and what could cause it?
Dizziness & Vertigo
Dizziness is an umbrella term usually used to describe many different sensations – unsteadiness, imbalance, vertigo, lightheadedness. This can sometimes make it difficult for a clinician to determine the type of dizziness one is experiencing, it’s possible causes, and how to proceed with management.
Often, it is used to refer to vertigo, which is the sensation of yourself or everything around you spinning, and an attack of vertigo can last between a few seconds to hours depending on the underlying cause. Surprising to many people, vertigo or long-term imbalance can actually be due to an ear disorder.
The Inner Ear – Keeping us Balanced
“How can my ear be causing everything to spin?” many people ask. After all, the ear is the organ of hearing and is designed to detect and process the sounds around us.
Divided into three parts (outer, middle, and inner), it is equipped with numerous structures to pick up sounds and their characteristics, and send them to the brain. The inner ear also has another little-known yet very important function – it contains the organ of balance. Three semi-circular canals and two pouches with ‘crystals’ attached to them, all filled with fluid, form a complex system known as the vestibular system.
This system works like a gyroscope, accelerometer, and a gravity detector all inside our head! It tells our brain (and our eyes and body) whenever we move our heads in any direction at any speed, making it possible for us to keep our balance, maintain visual focus, and coordinate our body – without the inner ear it would be very difficult to play most sports, and do numerous other activities the way we do. Which is why when things go wrong with it, it can indeed be very disabling.
What causes things to go wrong?
There are numerous causes of vertigo related to the inner ear, the most common type being positional vertigo. This is where head movements – lying down, looking up, moving your head to the side – cause a brief spell of dizziness. It is usually caused when the ‘crystals’ within the inner ear enter one of the semi-circular canals and prevent the fluid inside from moving as freely as it should be.
More severe attacks of dizziness or long-term unsteadiness and imbalance, especially when presenting with hearing difficulties and/or ringing in the ear (tinnitus), can be due to inflammation of the inner ear, or due to Meniere’s Disease.
As with any illness and symptom, if you have any concerns regarding problems such as these, it is best to mention it to your physician, and see a specialist in vestibular disorders, such as an ENT doctor or an audiologist.
