Medicines, such as prochlorperazine and some antihistamines, can help in the early stages or most cases of vertigo. Many people with vertigo also benefit from vestibular rehabilitation training (VRT), which is a series of exercises for people with dizziness and balance problems.
Most of the time, vertigo resolves without treatment, as the brain can compensate for changes to the inner ear to restore someone's balance. Medications, such as steroids, can reduce inner ear inflammation, and water pills can reduce fluid buildup.
There are two main types of vertigo: Peripheral vertigo: This happens when there's a problem with the inner ear. Central vertigo: This occurs when there's an issue with the brain. Causes can include infection, brain tumors, traumatic brain injury or stroke.
Vertigo feels like you or everything around you is spinning – enough to affect your balance. It's more than just feeling dizzy. A vertigo attack can last from a few seconds to hours. If you have severe vertigo, it can last for many days or months.
About 5 percent of American adults experience vertigo, and many people notice it when they're feeling stressed or anxious. Even though stress doesn't directly cause vertigo, it can contribute to dysfunction of the part of your inner ear that controls balance, called your vestibular system.
In general, short periods of vertigo or motion sickness respond well to over-the-counter antihistamines. Two common ones are dimenhydrinate (Dramamine) and meclizine (Bonine).
Can dehydration lead to vertigo? If you're dehydrated, you may start to feel dizzy. This feeling can cause you to also experience lightheadedness, wooziness, fairness and unsteadiness. You may also experience a very specific form of dizziness called vertigo.
“In rare cases, people who experience debilitating vertigo might need surgery, but I find that lying down in the dark, avoiding lights, TVs, and other distractions, and just getting some rest can ease my symptoms,” she said.
Stroke A blood clot or bleeding in the brain — otherwise known as a stroke — can cause symptoms of vertigo.
Vertigo probably isn't a blood pressure issue
“Vertigo symptoms are very unlikely to be caused by any type of blood pressure issues,” Dr. Laffin says. “For most people, it's an inner ear issue.” If you're experiencing frequent vertigo, it's important to talk to your doctor to try to identify and treat the cause.
If you feel lightheaded and/or woozy, Dr. Grossman recommends having a drink of water or orange juice and lying down. If symptoms last more than 15 minutes, he says it's time to seek medical help in an urgent or emergency care setting.
Sometimes doctors recommend antihistamines, such as meclizine (Antivert), diphenhydramine (Benadryl), or dimenhydrinate (Dramamine) to help with vertigo episodes.
Ibuprofen actually can restrict blood flow to the inner ear's cochlea so that it doesn't work like it's supposed to. Acetaminophen, especially, can damage ear structures that are there to protect the cochlea in your inner ear. Additionally, ibuprofen can even worsen symptoms of tinnitus, dizziness and vertigo.
While these words are often used interchangeably, they describe different sensations. Dizziness is the feeling of being lightheaded, foggy or unsteady. Vertigo, which is less common than dizziness, is an overall spinning sensation.
Anxiety, by itself, does not produce vertigo. However, in association with conditions that do produce vertigo, anxiety can make the vertigo much worse. People with certain anxiety disorders such as panic attacks can sometimes also experience vertigo.
Poor sleep quality can disrupt waking life in a number of ways. In fact, a 2017 study published in The Laryngoscope found a significantly higher rate of daytime vertigo, a condition that causes dizzy spells, in patients with sleep apnea.
Vertigo could also affect your ability to drive. You should avoid driving if you've recently had episodes of vertigo and there's a chance you may have another episode while you're driving.
The list of drugs that may cause vertigo or dizziness is impressive. It includes anti-convulsants, anesthetics, anti-depressants, analgesics, anti-diabetics, contraceptives, anti-inflammatory drugs, cardiovascular drugs, sedatives, tranquillizers, cytotoxic agents, and anti-hypertensive agents.
In rare cases, vertigo may be associated with a serious medical condition, so you should call 911 or go directly to the nearest emergency room if your sense of imbalance is accompanied by: Shortness of breath. Chest pains. Facial numbness.
Pick up a banana
To replenish blood glucose, low levels of which can cause dizziness. Low blood glucose – aka hypoglycaemia - is especially a risk for people with diabetes.
Paracetamol cannot cure dizziness. It cannot stop your runny nose, nor can it treat a tummy ache.
Check if you have labyrinthitis
dizziness or feeling that everything around you is spinning (vertigo) feeling unsteady and off balance – you might find it difficult to stay upright or walk in a straight line. feeling or being sick. hearing loss.