Vertigo- What is it ACTUALLY? Fact vs Myth
By definition, vertigo is a sensation of feeling off balance or dizzy. Most of us have felt this feeling or know someone who has been through this at some point in time. There are many types of dizziness such as: feeling like you are on a boat, rocking, swimmy headed or feeling like the room is spinning. It can be short lived and simply annoying, or it can be extremely debilitating. Most people think that their only option is to just tough it out because “vertigo has no cure” and “all I can do is wait it out.” WRONG! Others bounce from office to office in search of someone who can provide some sort of relief, and are left without any new information or solution. This can often be disappointing as well. However, when you know where to look, the options are much brighter.
In many cases (about 2/3 of the time) this dizziness/spinning feeling is caused by a condition called BPPV- Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, and better yet, is curable in 1-2 physical therapy visits! An experienced vestibular physical therapist can easily diagnose this condition and determine the best treatment (which is successful over 90% of the time). A vestibular specialist is a specialist in the area of the inner ear (where the underlying issue is), and will be much more familiar with your condition and symptoms.
Other causes for vertigo could be: Meniere’s disease, labyrinthitis, vestibular neuritis, vestibular migraines, multiple sclerosis, or even low blood pressure.
Fact vs. Myth
1: Vertigo is life-long, and will present at any time. – Myth
2: There is no cure for vertigo. – Myth
3: Balance issues can be indicative of inner ear issues. – Fact
4: It can’t be an inner ear issue if I don’t have hearing loss. – Myth
5: If I don’t move, it will go away. – Myth
6: Vertigo is rare. – Myth
7: If I am dizzy, I should not drive. – FACT
8: I should call Mission Physical Therapy if I am feeling dizzy or have balance issues. - FACT
