Causes of vertigo in women and men (and how to treat vertigo and dizziness)

The world spins around you, you lose your balance, you sweat, you have nausea, your hearing disappears, your complexion pales and you may even faint. One or several of these symptoms are common when you suffer from vertigo.

Until 20% of women and men have suffered vertigo or dizziness at some point in life. Although the symptoms of vertigo and dizziness are similar, you have to know the differencesbecause the treatment is not the same.

How to distinguish between vertigo and dizziness?

He Vertigo It is a balance disorder that causes a person to have a sensation of movement, of objects turning, without actually existing. The cause of vertigo is a alteration of the vestibular system that is housed in the inner ear and whose neurological center is in the brainstem.

He dizziness it is much more common. It is also a disturbance of balance that causes a feeling of instability, imminent fainting, cold sweating and nausea, but not always related to the vestibular system.

Both appear suddenly and can last from a few seconds to several days.

What types of vertigo are there?

The inner ear plays an important role in vertigo, but it is not the only element to consider. The sense of balance also depends on vision, muscles, joints and bones. exist two types of vertigo, depending on the cause:

peripheral vertigo. It is the most common and is caused by involvement of the labyrinth (inner ear) and vestibular nerve (the one that carries balance information from the inner ear to the brain). It is usually associated with some hearing loss, tinnitus, tachycardia, pressure and ear pain.Central vertigo. It is due to the alteration of the neurological mechanisms of the vestibular system itself. The problem is not in the ear, but in a certain part of the brain. In these cases, instability when walking, double vision, swallowing problems and severe headache often appear.

Causes of vertigo in women and men

In the article “Dizziness: importance of differential diagnosis” published in 2020 in the journal Family medicine of SEMERGEN (Spanish Society of Primary Care Physicians), points out the importance of determining the origin of dizziness. It is a non-specific and frequent symptom, so a differential diagnosis must be made.

Peripheral vertigos are the most frequent. The study “Dizziness and vertigo”, published in the journal Primary care in 2014, confirms this and explains the most common causes of this disorder. Although peripheral vertigos are usually benign compared to central ones, the symptoms are very bothersome and knowing its origin is essential to be able to treat them.

Causes of peripheral vertigo

The most common vertigo arises with changes in posture or head movements. In this case it is called benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. It appears when we lie down, when we get out of bed or when we bend over and usually lasts a few minutes.

Another type of peripheral vertigo is derived from Meniere’s disease. The exact cause is not known, but it usually occurs when the pressure of fluid (endolymph) in a part of the inner ear is too high. It affects only one ear and is related to viral or bacterial infections in the middle ear area. It is a common cause of tinnitus and, eventually, deafness.

A third, less common cause is inflammation of the vestibular nerve. In this case, the vertigo is accompanied by nausea and vomiting, with a tendency to fall towards the side of the lesion. There is no hearing loss or tinnitus, but there is spontaneous nystagmus (rapid eye movement) towards the healthy side. The most frequent cause is a flu, catarrhal or sinusitis process.

Peripheral vertigo can also appear as a consequence of use of certain drugs that are toxic to the ear, from a head injury, from the presence of a tumor pressing on the area, from irritation or inflammation of a part of the inner ear or from situations that affect the middle ear: otitis, foreign bodies, earplugs wax etc

Causes of central vertigo

Contrary to peripheral vertigo, the symptoms of central vertigo are usually less intenseappear and evolve progressively and the sensation of rotation is less.

The causes can be diverse: a cerebrovascular disease, certain types of migraine, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, infections or tumors in some areas of the brain, etc. Vision or cervical problems can also cause it.

Causes of dizziness

get dizzy is not the same as having vertigo. Some symptoms are similar, such as nausea, vomiting, weakness, loss of balance… but when you have dizziness the world doesn’t revolve around you.

What you experience is lightheadedness, unsteadiness, grogginess, and a feeling of floating in the air and even fainting. It usually improves if you sit or lie down.

Dizziness is much more common than vertigo and is due to multiple causes:

Anemia. Lack of iron can cause dizziness, as well as fatigue, weakness, and paleness.Anxiety. Certain anxiety disorders cause confusion, unsteadiness, and dizziness.dehydration. High temperatures and low fluid intake cause hyperthermia and dehydration, which in turn causes dizziness.Hypoglycemia. A low blood glucose level also causes dizziness. It can be a consequence of a prolonged fast or appear in diabetic people who use insulin.hypotension A sudden drop in systolic pressure causes a brief daze. It usually appears due to a sudden stop when doing an aerobic activity, or due to metabolic decompensation.Bad blood circulation. A decrease in blood volume (ischemic attacks, arrhythmias…) can cause inadequate blood flow to the brain or inner ear.Medicines. Dizziness can be a side effect of certain drugs such as antidepressants, anxiolytics, hypotensives, etc.

What is motion sickness?

Travel sickness or motion sickness is a common symptom that almost everyone has experienced at some point. Causes a characteristic syndrome: Initially general malaise appears to later give way to a series of digestive and neurological alterations.

The person who suffers from it begins to have symptoms such as feeling drowsy, appearing repeated yawning that precedes a picture of nauseasalivation, paleness, sweating, cyclical vomiting and feeling faint.

Dizziness arises as consequence of acceleration and deceleration movements repeated, curved or swaying, which causes a “conflict” in the information that the various sensors transmit to the brain.

Although anyone can be a victim of such a crisis, especially affects children. The reason is that they have more sensitive senses than adults. Furthermore, from their limited perspective, they observe that everything around them is moving.

Raise your position 20 cm so that they see the horizon through the front window of the car and, therefore, that they can look at a fixed point, helps to mitigate dizziness.

How to relieve vertigo and dizziness?

Whether you suffer from bouts of vertigo or simple dizziness, you have to look for the cause in order to treat it properly.

Take some precautions It can help you alleviate the symptoms.

Lay down as soon as the disorder appears. Try not to move. Do not try to read, look at your mobile or carry out any other activity. Try to find a relaxed atmosphere, without intense lights, and take deep breaths. Controlling anxiety is important so that the symptoms do not worsen. caution when walking. The chances of falling are high during an episode of vertigo. Ask a family member or friend for help if you have to move.Avoid sudden changes in position. If you have to get out of bed, get up and sit on the edge of the mattress for a few minutes. Once the symptoms subside, resume your activity little by little. Don’t be in a hurry to get back to your normal rhythm. If the episodes of postural vertigo recur frequently, go to an otolaryngologist to do a canalicular repositioning. Vertigo appears when small calcium carbonate crystals – called canalites or otoconia – that are in the inner ear break loose and fall into the semicircular canals. The repositioning procedure helps move these particles to another part of the ear (vestibule) so they don’t cause problems and are more easily reabsorbed.

What to take for vertigo?

The Phytotherapy and the homeopathy They offer very effective treatments to treat both vertigo and dizziness.

Ginkgo biloba. Ginkgo biloba stimulates blood circulation, especially the brain. It has been proven that 47% of people who take it recover from the symptoms of vertigo after three months of treatment. It is incompatible with anticoagulant medication. Dose: 120 to 240 mg daily.Ginger. Ginger root helps relieve nausea associated with vertigo. It can be taken in the form of infusion with fresh grated ginger and chamomile. It is also useful to chew a piece of raw root or take it in the form of a tincture (10 drops in half a glass of water, two or three times a day).Tanacetum. Relieves dizziness derived from migraine and helps in case of tinnitus, nausea and vomiting. A daily dose of 60 to 180 mg of dry extract 10:1 of the plant is usually recommended.Cocculus indicus. This homeopathic remedy is indicated when nausea and vomiting with dizziness and trembling knees appear, and when these symptoms are aggravated by speed, waves, strong odors and cold air, but improve by heat. As a preventive measure, two granules can be taken at CH 30 minutes before boarding or getting into a car.Tabacum. Another homeopathic remedy that fights the symptoms in their initial phase: paleness, sweating, palpitations and a feeling of fainting. The person improves in the open air and worsens in the heat. Two granules will be taken every 30 minutes until improvement appears.

scientific references

Ramírez Parrondo, R. Dizziness: importance of differential diagnosis. Family Medicine – SEMERGEN. 2020, January-February; 46 (1): e5-e6. Wipperman J. Dizziness and vertigo. Prim Care. 2014 Mar; 41(1): 115-31.