Vertigo

What is vertigo?

Vertigo is the sensation that you or the environment around you is moving or spinning, making you feel dizzy and off-balance. Vertigo is a balance disorder and a type of dizziness. Dizziness is a general term for feeling off-balance.

Vertigo is a symptom, not a diagnosis. Though you can develop vertigo from numerous conditions, problems with the inner ear are a common cause. Your inner ear plays a central role in helping you maintain balance.

The vestibular system in your inner ear contains fluid-filled canals and sensory hair cells that tell your brain when your head is moving. Problems with the inner ear affect this system, making you feel off-balance or dizzy, causing symptoms like vertigo.

The team at Massachusetts Ear, Nose and Throat Associates specializes in conditions that affect the ear, including those that cause vertigo.

What are ear-related causes of vertigo?

Many ear conditions cause vertigo. Some of the most common include:

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)

BPPV is the most common cause of vertigo. It occurs when tiny calcium crystals, or rocks, fall into the fluid-filled canal in the inner ear. With BPPV, you may experience vertigo when you move your head in certain positions. 

Labyrinthitis

Labyrinthitis is an infection in the inner ear, which may affect balance and cause symptoms like vertigo or dizziness.

Meniere’s disease

Meniere’s disease is a condition in which fluids buildup in the ear, causing periodic episodes of vertigo, tinnitus, and hearing loss. 

Vestibular neuritis

Vestibular neuritis is inflammation of the vestibular nerve.

Cholesteatoma

Repeated ear infections may cause noncancerous growths to form in the middle ear, or cholesteatoma. This condition causes vertigo, dizziness, and hearing loss.

What happens during a vertigo evaluation?

The team at Massachusetts Ear, Nose and Throat Associates reviews your health history and performs a physical when you come in for a vertigo evaluation. 

They may run many tests to diagnose the cause of your vertigo, such as hearing tests, balance tests, inner ear fluid pressure tests (electrocochleography), and imaging tests.

What treatments can help vertigo?

The Massachusetts Ear, Nose and Throat Associates team customizes your vertigo treatment plan based on the underlying cause. Treatment may include:

• Diet modifications
• Disease-specific medications
• Vestibular rehabilitation
• Canalith repositioning procedure (for BPPV)

In some cases, the team may recommend surgery to fix the underlying cause of vertigo, such as surgery to remove a brain tumor.

To get help for vertigo, call Massachusetts Ear, Nose and Throat Associates or schedule an appointment online today.