Legacy

Vertigo is a health disorder in which sufferers can experience dizziness and feel the area around them spinning. Although it is often thought of as a disease, in fact vertigo is not a disease but a symptom of another disease or health disorder.

Vertigo sufferers must go to a doctor for an examination so that the cause and treatment needs to be determined. This is intended to prevent recurrence. In severe conditions, vertigo can occur for a long time to interfere with daily activities. Why? Because vertigo can cause sufferers to lose balance and disorientation. In other words, people with vertigo can experience injury during a relapse from a loss of balance or a fall.

Vertigo Risk Factors

Risk factors are said to be things that can increase the risk of something happening to the sufferer. The following factors can increase your risk of experiencing vertigo:

Age over 50 years old
woman
There is a wound on the head
In certain medications (using special drugs)
Hereditary factors from the family (family health history)
Presence of infection in the ear
Under severe mental stress or severe stress
Excessive alcohol consumption

Factors That Cause Vertigo

Vertigo occurs due to disturbances in the inner ear. This is the main cause of Vertigo which ultimately causes balance disorders in the body. Here are some other factors that can cause vertigo, including:

Sudden body movements, one of the examples is standing up suddenly
Experiencing migraines or severe headaches
Stroke
Have Meniere's Disease or commonly known as a disorder that attacks the inner ear
Occurrence of vestibular neuronitis or inflammation of the vestibular nerve in the inner ear
The presence of disorders of the brain, such as tumors
Consumption of certain drugs that cause ear damage
Severe head injury or trauma

Vertigo Symptoms

Symptoms that usually occur are the patient will experience dizziness spinning until the ears ring. If it lasts for a long time, it can trigger nausea and vomiting and even fall. Even though the patient is lying down and closing his eyes to reduce dizziness, while lying down the patient will also feel his body spinning and a feeling of palpitations that can trigger fainting.

Mild vertigo usually occurs within hours, but if not treated immediately, vertigo will get worse and can increase the risk of stroke.

Vertigo Treatment

It should be understood that vertigo is not a disease but a symptom of a health disorder in the body. Vertigo can appear as a symptom of certain diseases, therefore, vertigo treatment is carried out based on the disease caused. In some cases, vertigo can resolve without treatment because the nerves in the brain can successfully adapt to changes in the inner ear.

Special treatment for vertigo needs to be done if the occurrence of:

Epley Maneuver for Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BBPV)
The Epley maneuver is an exercise that you can do independently at home to reduce BPPV symptoms. It is advisable for the treatment of BBPV to first consult a neurologist, but with this maneuver, it is hoped that the otolith (the organ of balance in the inner ear) that causes BBPV can move into an open space to reduce dizziness or spinning.

Following are the steps of the Epley Maneuver:
- Position the pillow to lay your body up to the nape / neck so that your head is slightly tilted upwards. In addition, you can also do it by sitting on the bed and legs straightened down. Turn your head 45 degrees to the right or towards the affected ear.
- Hold position for 30 seconds
- Rotate the head by 90 degrees and hold the position back for 30 seconds
- Slowly, try to get back up with your chin against your chest
- You can sit back on the edge of the bed, and wait a few minutes for your ears to adapt
Take the steps of treatment therapy as recommended by the doctor if the symptoms get worse
Perform vestibular rehabilitation therapy to help the brain adapt to confusing signals from the ear
Vertigo treatment can also be done independently at home. Treatment that can be done is with a light massage around the head area, drink ginger tea or almonds. You also need to fulfil the intake of body fluids so that the body is not dehydrated..

Vertigo Prevention

Can vertigo be prevented? Of course! Several ways can be done to prevent vertigo symptoms from appearing:

Avoid sudden movements
Take a sitting position when vertigo strikes
Position the head so that it is higher than the body position during sleep, this can be done by using several pillows
Movement of the head slowly if dizziness has attacked
Avoid head movements looking up, body bending or squatting
For people with Meniere's disease, limit or reduce salt consumption in the daily menu

If the dizziness does not get better or lessens, immediately consult Royal Progress Hospital Neurologists so that the right treatment can be done immediately!