How do you describe vertigo to your friends or doctor? Is it a feeling of extreme dizziness? While vertigo and dizziness have their similarities, they are not the same thing. Learning to distinguish which of the two you are feeling is very important in obtaining proper care. In this post, we’ll describe each condition and focus on a drug-free relief alternative for vertigo and migraines that has been proven to work.
What Is Dizziness?
Also described as lightheadedness, this is the feeling that you are about to faint or pass out. There is no sensation of movement. You can feel better when you lie down. A severe episode of dizziness may result in a fainting spell called syncope. It may include nausea and vomiting.
Dizziness can affect people of all ages, but older adults mostly experience it. The extreme fear of dizziness leaves some seniors avoiding social activities. Dizziness can result in injuries and accidents.
Nearly everyone has experienced feeling lightheaded at one point or another. Short incidents of lightheadedness, like when you stand up too quickly, are not alarming. They may happen because of a temporary drop in blood pressure or blood flow to your head. If you have recurring dizziness, that’s when it becomes serious. It may indicate an underlying condition, and therefore, you should be assessed by a doctor or physician.
Possible Causes of Dizziness
Any of the following can cause lightheadedness:
- Illnesses including the common cold or the flu
- Diseases that cause fevers, dehydration, vomiting, and diarrhea
- Hyperventilating
- Allergies
- Anxiety and stress
- The use of alcohol, illegal drugs, or tobacco
On rare occasions, dizziness may occur because of these reasons:
- Abnormal heart rhythm leading to fainting spells
- Prescription medications
- Internal bleeding or menstrual bleeding
What Is Vertigo?
This is the sensation that you or everything around you is spinning or moving even when there is no movement at all. Vertigo makes you feel off-balance, as if you are falling, tilting, or rotating. If you have severe vertigo, you may vomit and feel sick. Walking or even standing up can be challenging to do. Some people even lose their balance and fall.
Vertigo occurs when the signals being relayed to your brain are faulty. Your brain acquires information from the four sensory systems to keep your sense of balance and orientation in your environment. These sensory systems include the following:
- Skin pressure: This forwards data to the brain about what body part is feeling pressure, signaling what position you are in. An example, your feet feel the most weight when you are standing up.
- Visual input: This is an integral part of how the balance system works. It provides information about your position and movement concerning your environment.
- The inner ear: Also referred to as the labyrinth and comprised the semicircular canals that have special cells to perceive motion and shifts in your position. If the inner ear gets injured or affected by illness, wrong signals can be sent to the brain. If these signals conflict with the signals from other system input, vertigo is the result.
- Sensory nerves: These nerves are in your joints, and allow your brain to know the position of your arms, legs, and torso. Your body then starts to make little changes in your posture to help keep your balance.
Possible Causes of Vertigo
Below are some of the reasons vertigo happens:
- Inner ear disorders such as BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo), Meniere’s disease, vestibular neuritis, and labyrinthitis
- Migraines
- Reduction of the blood flow through the arteries that supply blood to the brain
- Injury to the ear, head, or neck
Rare reasons for vertigo:
- Cholesteatoma
- Brain tumors and cancer
If you experience a change in speech or vision or similar loss of function in the body, consult a doctor immediately. It can be due to a transient ischemic attack or stroke.
Environmental Factors Triggering Vertigo
- Overmedicating
- Drug withdrawal or intoxication
- Alcohol interacting with prescription medications
- Abusing alcohol
Proven Effective Relief for Vertigo and Dizziness
Vertigo and dizziness are entirely different conditions, but they may develop due to the same root cause. Various studies have recognized the connection between a misalignment in the upper bones of the neck and the onset of vertigo and dizziness. The C1 (atlas) and C2 (axis) protect the brainstem and spinal cord. The brainstem serves as the communication highway of the body as it holds the job of relaying messages to and from the brain. The problem arises when the atlas or axis misaligns. Possible causes are sporting accidents, whiplash, or any other trauma that hit the head or neck. A misalignment of either the atlas or axis can stress the brainstem and cause it to send false signals from the sensory inputs to the brain about the body’s location. Thankfully, there is an excellent solution to correcting this misalignment.
A fascinating study observed 60 patients displaying symptoms of vertigo. Each one received specific adjustments to their atlas as all had a misalignment there. Out of the 60 patients, 48 of them reported complete disappearance of their vertigo. The rest of the patients shared fewer or less severe vertigo symptoms.
Here at Hope Chiropractic Center in Southlake, Texas, we use the same method that was used in the study. It is a gentle technique that encourages these bones to move back into place without needing to pop or crack the spine or neck. This leads to many patients restoring their body’s health and healing from vertigo. If you are seeking a chiropractor for vertigo in Texas, our clinic’s doors are open to help you.
