FACIAL PLASTIC & COSMETIC SURGERY

Vertigo

If you’ve ever felt suddenly dizzy, you have experienced vertigo. This condition involves brief episodes of mild to intense dizziness.

Vertigo is often caused by an inner ear problem – and may be related to a viral infection. Migraine headaches and certain medications can also cause vertigo.

Along with dizziness, there may also be temporary hearing loss, tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and ear discomfort. Some people feel nauseous and vomit. Others have headaches and sweating. If you have vertigo when you lie down, it helps to sit up in bed. Be careful standing up when you’re feeling dizzy.

The symptoms of vertigo may disappear as suddenly as they arrived, often lasting less than a minute. In some cases, dizziness may last several hours. Often, a simple change in position – especially involving your head – will trigger vertigo.

Treatment for Vertigo

What can you do when vertigo strikes? Take comfort that it’s rarely serious – except that the unsteady feeling can increase the risk of falls.

An ENT doctor can provide effective treatment for recurrent vertigo. Your doctor will perform various tests to determine the cause of your dizziness problem. In the physical exam, your doctor will look for:

  • Signs of dizziness that are prompted by eye or head movements
  • Eye movements when you lie on your back
  • Side-to-side involuntary eye movements
  • Difficulty controlling eye movements

These tests will help your doctor identify the cause of vertigo:

  • Electronystagmography (ENG) or videonystagmography (VNG)
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan

In most cases, vertigo disappears within a few days or weeks. However, at times the problem may last several months in some people. For chronic vertigo, treatment involves techniques to help relieve the dizziness. Your audiologist or physical therapist may teach you movements known as the canalith repositioning procedure which is very helpful.

Learning this procedure can help resolve a chronic dizziness problem. In some cases, the ENT doctor may recommend a surgical procedure to reduce vertigo unresponsive to conservative management.

Contact our office:

To find out more about our Vertigo services, visit Dr. Friedman’s office locations at 7545 E Angus Dr, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 and 903 N. Beeline Highway, Suite A, Payson, Arizona 85541, or book an appointment by calling 480-664-0125 today.

Vertigo

 

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