There are many organs in the human body that have duties in maintaining balance. All the senses coming from the bones, muscles, inner ear and eyes are collected and resolved in the brain and cerebellum, thus ensuring balance.
What is Vertigo?
A problem that occurs in any part of this structure, which includes many organs, can completely disrupt the balance. For this reason, this whole structure should be examined in detail in individuals who have problems such as balance problems or dizziness due to balance disorders. The most important symptom of vertigo, which causes balance disorder and is quite common, is dizziness.
Vertigo, which can reach dimensions that can make even standing difficult by negatively affecting daily life from mild dizziness, is a balance disorder seen in 3 out of every 100 people. The reason for the disorder in the balance mechanism should be investigated and treatment should be applied in people with this disease, which is the specialty of Ear Nose Throat and Neurology clinics.
Vertigo; It is a health problem that develops due to the deterioration of the balance mechanism, usually due to inner ear diseases or some problems with the brain and cerebellum. The balance organs in the inner ear are among the structures that undertake the most important tasks in maintaining balance in the body. The balance organs, which are located in the structure of the inner ear and are side by side with the hearing organs, consist of 3 semicircular canals, also called labyrinths, and two sacs.
Under normal conditions, gravity, forward and backward movements in healthy individuals; the rotational movement is perceived by the semicircular canals and the signals to provide the balance are sent to the brain and cerebellum from there. In other words, this balance system aims to detect the movements of the body and to provide balance accordingly. When the person stands still, the same signals are transmitted to the brain from the balance organs in both ears.
Defects in this signal transmission occur in vertigo patients due to any problem in the balance organs in the inner ear or other organs involved in the balance mechanism. Depending on the problems in question, disruptions or errors can be seen in the balance signals transmitted to the brain, and accordingly, the person Although it is motionless, it can perceive everything around it as if it is moving. This problem, which we can also call dizziness, indicates vertigo.
In the real sense, vertigo can be evaluated as the feeling that the person is spinning or moving around the environment. Unlike imbalance, there is an illusion of movement in vertigo, and the surrounding objects are perceived as moving, which they are not. Vertigo is not a disease on its own, it is defined as a symptom of any disease in the balance organs in the body, and in addition to symptomatic treatments, research on what this disease is must be done for real treatment.
What are the Symptoms of Vertigo?
The most important symptom of vertigo is dizziness. Almost every individual diagnosed with vertigo applies to health institutions with the complaint of dizziness. However, some patients may experience additional symptoms other than dizziness. These conditions that can be counted among the symptoms of vertigo are as follows:
- Tinnitus,
- Feeling of pressure in the ear,
- Hearing problems,
- Nausea and vomiting ,
- Abnormal eye movements,
- Double vision,
- Propensity to sleep,
- Blurred consciousness ,
- Coordination disorder,
- Loss of strength in arms and legs.
In patients who apply to health institutions with symptoms indicating vertigo, this problem can be detected by performing a crystal test by otolaryngologists. Inflammatory diseases that occur in the inner ear can also affect the balance organs and cause sudden onset vertigo attacks. The amount of snail fluid, which is in the inner ear and plays an important role in maintaining balance, can be observed from time to time due to any reason. This situation is among the causes of vertigo and can cause intense tinnitus and hearing problems.
If there is no problem related to the inner ear, the factor causing vertigo may be a problem with the brain and cerebellum, and in this case, surgical operations may be required by performing the necessary diagnostic tests. Other factors that can be counted among the causes of vertigo are stress, excessive alcohol use, allergic problems, excessive salt consumption, insufficient water consumption and smoking.
How to Diagnose Vertigo?
A detailed medical history and physical examination by the physician is an important part of the diagnosis in patients who apply to hospitals with vertigo complaints. It is very important to learn the complaints experienced by the patient in detail in order to distinguish true vertigo. While taking the medical history, information is obtained from the patient about how long the complaints have lasted, how the problem of vertigo experienced with changing positions is related, what are the accompanying diseases and drugs used, and whether there has been any head trauma.
It is learned whether neurological problems such as confusion, speech disorder and drowsiness accompany. During the physical examination, the patient may be asked to make some movements, and the presence of abnormal eye movements can be examined by the physician. Some blood tests and imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) can be used to further research the underlying problem. According to the findings, the problems that cause vertigo are determined and a treatment is started for them.
Vertigo Treatment Methods What
Individuals experiencing symptoms of vertigo should go through an examination by applying to health institutions, regardless of the severity of these symptoms. There are three basic methods that are widely preferred in treatment. Vestibular Rehabilitation, which is the first of these, is a treatment method performed by Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation specialists in order to understand and try to solve the problems that cause balance disorders in the body. The complaints seen in the patient are tried to be eliminated and short-term drug treatments may be recommended in patients with severe nausea.
The use of vertigo drugs containing cortisone may be recommended in patients whose attacks are persistent and severe. Surgical interventions may be necessary if the problem is related to the brain and nervous system in patients in whom no problem in the balance organs of the ear can be detected by otolaryngologists. In addition to existing medical treatments, it is also very important to implement a healthy and balanced diet plan. If necessary, patients can be referred to a dietitian. In addition to consuming adequate amounts of all nutrients, care should be taken to consume at least two liters of water per day, and if excessive salt consumption is in question, it should be stopped.
Alcohol and smoking should be stopped. Vertigo patients should avoid sudden movements and heavy sports. However, in addition to this, a regular exercise program should be determined and some exercises that help fight vertigo should be added to this plan. These exercises, called vertigo exercises, are explained to the patients in detail by the physicians, if deemed necessary, and they are requested to be repeated at the recommended frequency.
As a result, vertigo patients are followed up and treated by multidisciplinary teams consisting of Otorhinolaryngologists, Neurology specialists and Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation specialists. It becomes possible to prevent or greatly reduce vertigo complaints in patients who comply with the treatment plan.
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