When you feel dizzy or like the room is spinning you may have vertigo. This may be nothing to worry about, or it may be a sign of something that needs to be checked out by Family Medical Specialists of Florida, PLC. Whether your vertigo is positional, or something more serious, like Meniere’s disease, they offer excellent treatment and care. For your vertigo evaluation, call or book an appointment with their office in Plant City, Florida.
Vertigo Q & A
What is vertigo?
Vertigo is not a condition itself, but rather a sign of an underlying condition. It is a term that refers to the feeling of the room or environment around you spinning. This is often referred to as dizziness.
Vertigo may last a few seconds, or last long enough to affect your daily activities. You may also have symptoms like:
- Loss of balance
- Ringing in ears
- Nausea
- Hearing loss
- Fatigue
- Difficulty concentrating
You should consider seeing your provider at Family Medical Specialists of Florida, PLC if you have frequent, recurrent periods of vertigo, your vertigo does not go away, or your other symptoms are concerning to you.
If your vertigo were to be accompanied by a sudden and severe headache, numbness or tingling, double vision or loss of vision, arm or leg weakness, or difficulty speaking, you should seek medical attention immediately.
What causes vertigo?
Vertigo is often caused by a problem with the inner ear, the balance center of the body. Other causes may be related to chemical or hormonal imbalances, poor circulation, or problems in the brain.
Conditions that may cause vertigo include:
- Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)
- Meniere’s disease
- Ear infection
- Menopause
- Medications
- Alcohol
- Low blood pressure
- High blood pressure
- Dehydration
- Malnutrition
- Motion sickness
- Head injury
It is not clear why many of these underlying conditions cause vertigo. However, it is important that your medical team evaluates your vertigo symptoms to confirm it is not due to a serious condition.
What is BPPV?
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the most common cause of vertigo. This happens when there is a sudden change in position of your head, perhaps when you sit up suddenly after lying down, or you change from bending down to standing up quickly.
If it happens often enough to be concerning, your medical team may show you some maneuvers you can do with your head that may improve your symptoms.
What is Meniere’s disease?
Meniere’s disease is a chronic condition that causes vertigo, and is accompanied by one-sided progressive hearing loss, ringing in the ear, and the feeling of pressure or fullness.
This disease is not fully understood, and the cause is not clear. Treatments focus on treating symptoms and may include oral medications and hearing aids.
If you are having trouble with vertigo, call or book an appointment online today.