I woke up a few weeks ago and couldn't see straight, I felt like I was on a boat in rough seas and my eyes wouldn't stop shifting. After calming myself down a little and gathering myself I had my dad drive me to the hospital. Thinking that I could of had anything from a stroke to something crazy going on with my head. SCARY! After spending a few hours in the hospital and having a dozen tests run on me, I was diagnosed with Vertigo. Vertigo? For no rhyme or reason it just showed up. They aren't sure when it will go away and they are not sure why it happen but it did and I've been dealing. Let me tell you, NOT a fun thing to deal with, I get the feeling every now and then like I'm drifting at sea and get a really crazy case of motion sickness and the kicker is, is that I'll be standing perfectly still. I've done all the research I can and nothing seems to have a clear answer as to why it's happening to me. I understand what it is and blah blah blah but i still want an answer as to why. On a good note, I haven't felt it in a week so hopefully it's going away. Fingers crossed...
Definition of Vertigo
Vertigo is a type of dizziness felt as a shift in a person's relationship to the normal environment (a feeling that the room is spinning is common) or a sense of movement in space.Although dizziness and vertigo are often used interchangeably, they are not the same thing. While all vertigo is dizziness, not all dizziness is vertigo.
True vertigo, from the Latin "vertere," to turn, is a distinct, often severe form of dizziness that is a movement hallucination.
Description of Vertigo
There are four major types of dizziness - vertigo, presyncope, disequilibrium, and lightheadedness.Most patients with true vertigo have a peripheral vestibular disorder, such as benign positional vertigo. This is usually associated with tinnitus and hearing loss.
Central disorders, such as brain stem or cerebellar lesions, tend to be more chronic but less intense than peripheral disorders and are not associated with hearing loss. Central disorders account for only 15 percent of patients with vertigo.
Vertigo is the illusion that you - or your surroundings - are moving. You may feel that you are spinning, tilting, rocking, or falling through space. You may vomit or have ringing in the ears (tinnitus). Also, your eyes may uncontrollably jerk back and forth (a condition called nystagmus).
Causes and Risk Factors of Vertigo
There are several causes of vertigo:Benign positional paroxysmal vertigo (BPPV) is a disorder of the inner ear. The cause usually is unknown, but an upper respiratory tract infection or a minor blow to the head may be responsible. This type of vertigo occurs abruptly when you move your head up and down, or when you turn over in bed. Symptoms can be distressing but they fade in a few seconds. Avoiding positions that bring this on may reduce its occurrence.
BPPV is the commonest form of vertigo, with attacks lasting 30 to 60 seconds, typically set off when rolling over in bed, moving the head to one side or reaching for something ("top-shelf vertigo"). Sufferers can usually describe specific head movements that trigger it.
Although BPPV often occurs for no apparent reason, it can follow an ear infection, head or ear injury, and is thought to result from the dislodgement of normal crystalline structures in the ear's balance detectors. People with BPPV are often relieved to hear that it is due to an inner ear condition and does not signify some serious disorder such as a stroke or tumor.
Labyrinthitis refers to a variety of conditions within the inner ear. It may be associated with inflammation, an upper respiratory infection or nerve deterioration, but often occurs independently of other problems.
Central nervous system disorders that can cause vertigo as a symptom include multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, neck injuries, certain forms of migraine, acoustic neuroma, cerebellar and brain stem tumors, and TIAS (transient ischemic attacks).