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How Are Dizziness and Vertigo Related?
How These Conditions Relate to Hearing Loss Vertigo is the sensation of whirling or spinning, which occurs as a direct result of disturbance to one's balance or equilibrium. Being Dizzy is the term most widely used to describe this feeling. There are two kinds of vertigo, the subjective vertigo, which means a person senses a movement, or the objective vertigo, wherein the person has a perception that the things around him are moving. Vertigo is actually a symptom, and not a disease in itself. Usually, it is a result of a disorder in the vestibular system. The vestibular system is the structure, which consists of the inner ear, the vestibular nerve, the brainstem, and the cerebellum. It is also the system responsible for integrating the sensory stimuli, as well as your movements. It also keeps the object you see in visual focus, even if your body is moving. In reality, vertigo and dizziness are the symptoms of Meniere's Disease. The disease is characterized by a very disturbing illness. It presents the patients with hearing loss, as well as pressure in the ear. People who have this disease also have what is called tinnitus and a severe imbalance. The four full symptoms of Meniere's disease are periodic episodes of rotatory vertigo or simply dizziness; a progressively fluctuating hearing loss with sounds of low frequency; tinnitus; and a sensation of fullness in the ear. Vertigo or dizziness is actually the most dramatic of the disruptive symptoms of a patient with Meniere's disease. A vertigo attack, especially when it becomes very common is usually enough to make the patient go to a doctor and seek medical treatment. Vertigo usually attacks in a series over a period of several weeks or even months. The person having a vertigo attack would just suddenly feel unsteady and will usually see all the things surrounding him spinning. It may even produce the beating of the eyes from one side to another. Plus, the person feels nausea, vomiting, and sweating. It is just like he is feeling extreme motion sickness. Studies show that before vertigo attacks, one feels a sensation in his ear. He feels his ear becomes full, or there is some sort of pressure in it. In line with that, he feels as if his hearing is lost for the time being and tinnitus as well. A vertigo attack reaches its peak intensity within minutes. But it can last for an hour or so before it subsides. And the feeling of unsteadiness could go on for several hours or even days. Tinnitus is referred to as the loud ringing in the ears. It is usually a long, sustained sound. There are instances of a brief episode of tinnitus, which usually last a few seconds. They would usually hear a long ping. Tinnitus in patients with Meniere's disease does not last for a few seconds. It lasts in considerable period of time. The Meniere's disease is what binds vertigo and dizziness to the actual loss of hearing of an individual. Research shows that there is an average of 1 to 7 people for every 1000 who acquire this disease. It is most common to people within the range of 40 to 50 years old. People 20 years old and above have the possibility of contracting the disease, although it can very rare. Children with this disease are also uncommon. Most of the time, surgery is going to be needed to cure Meniere's Disease and the onset of vertigo. Spontaneous recovery is not really the thing here. But if it is treated properly, in two years, the incidence of vertigo will relatively be lesser to almost nothing. There are different tests to determine if a person does have Meniere's disease. An audiogram is one thing. It determines the certain frequency of sound a person can't hear. Additional tests include balance test, electrocochleography, and brainstem evoked response audiometry. If you feel the symptoms of Menieres disease, do not waste time and consult a physician. Vertigo is so disturbing it will be hard to ignore. Meniere's disease can be cured easily so do not be afraid.
What are Ear & hearing loss problems ? It is also seen from the outside. The ear canal acts like a funnel catching the sound waves and lead them to the eardrum. The middle ear is where the eardrum is located. It is actually a small space inside the ear filled with air. In the middle ear, there are three tiny bones. Collectively, they are called the ossicles. Individually, there are the hammer, the anvil, and the stirrup. From the outer ear, sound is directed to the eardrum. Now on the eardrum, these bones move in tune with the sound that passes on the vibration toward a much smaller part of the ear, the cochlea. The cochlea is already part of the inner ear. It has fluid in it, which, in turn, moves the hairs on the outside of the cells. Several of these hair cells create an electrical impulse that is send with the auditory nerve directly to the brain.
What is vertigo? Dizziness is not a disease. It is a symptom. Most often it is mild and temporary and a cause cannot be found. Sometimes it is a signal of some other problem. Feelings of dizziness or vertigo may be caused by an infection or disease in the inner ear. For example, one possible cause is inflammation of the inner ear called labyrinthitis. Other inner ear problems that can trigger dizziness are Meniere's disease and benign positional vertigo.
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