The vertigos are a illusory sensation or hallucination of movement either from ourselves or from the objects around us, which is often accompanied by sweating, nausea and vomitingand although some pathologies may or may not cause them at some point in their evolution, there are diseases of the inner ear that have it as the main symptom.
This is the case of the Meniere’s disease, a chronic disease of the inner ear produced by an “endolymphatic hydrops”, that is, by a excess endolymph, which is the fluid that fills the cavities of the membranous labyrinth of the inner ear. Along with recurrent vertigo, lasting days, with nausea and vomiting, other symptoms of this pathology are hearing loss or fluctuating perceptual or sensorineural hearing losswhich worsens in vertigo attacks, and tinnituswhich are almost constant and increase when a crisis is about to appear.
According to him Dr. Juan Royo, moderator of the hearing health community Viviendo el Sonido de Gaes“of patients suffering from this disease, a 65% are women. The age of onset is usually between 30 and 50 years, being infrequent to find cases under 20 years and over 70”.
Benign paroxysmal vertigo and vestibular neuronitis
As its name suggests, vertigo is also the main symptom of benign paroxysmal vertigo (BPPV), a disease of the inner ear that is defined by the appearance of brief vertigo attacks triggered by a change in position. They do not usually last long and disappear either spontaneously or due to the modification of the posture by the person who suffers from it.
Most experts agree that BPPV is the most common cause of vertigo. In fact, represents 35% of dizziness of peripheral origin, a figure that rises to 50% if people over 60 years of age are taken into account. “It is in this age group that there is a higher incidence of BPPV, which is also more frequent among women”, indicates Dr. Royo. In this case, the diagnosis of the disease is based “on a typical clinical history and on the appearance of vertigo when performing provocative maneuvers.”
The vestibular neuronitisr is another of the diseases that has vertigo as one of its main symptoms. It is characterized by a sudden intense attack of rotational vertigo, with large vegetative manifestations and without hearing impairment or tinnitus. It is produced by a sudden and complete failure of posterior labyrinth functions and, although its origin is unknown, the most accepted theory is that it is triggered by a virus infection.
“This type of vertigo affects men and women equally and its maximum incidence is between 40-50 years of age.”, assures Dr. Royo. As far as diagnosis is concerned, the clinical examination is typical of peripheral vertigo in the acute phase, in addition to the appearance of a lesion of the affected labyrinth.
How to prevent vertigo
To enjoy a life without peripheral vertigo, he advises:
- Avoid the appearance of otitis or earwax plugs, keeping the clean and dry ears and protecting us from the cold and drafts.
- undergo a periodic hearing check and even eye.
- bet on one healthy eating and avoiding tobacco and caffeine.
- Keep a good body postureavoiding lowering the head beyond the shoulders, stretching the neck upwards or making sudden turns.
- Reduce the consumption of ototoxic medications, including acetylsalicylic acid, certain diuretic drugs, and some anti-inflammatories and antibiotics.