Episodes of vertigo — the feeling that the room is spinning around — and dizziness are often short-lived and infrequent. But when they begin to recur, or they’re severe enough to increase your risk of falling, it’s time to get medical attention. Dr. Sujatha Borra has many years of experience determining the underlying cause of vertigo and developing customized treatment to relieve your symptoms. If you have questions about vertigo, call the office in Tampa, Florida.
Vertigo is often used to mean the same thing as dizziness, but it’s a specific type of dizziness that makes you feel like your surroundings are spinning around. You can develop vertigo due to an ear infection, an inner ear disease, and migraine headaches. The most common cause, however, is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).
BPPV occurs when small calcium crystals that are normally inside your ear break loose and float inside structures called the semicircular canals, which generally help you maintain balance. With the crystals affecting the canals, they become hypersensitive to head movement, causing vertigo.
Vertigo occurs in short spells that are triggered by head movement, like rolling over in bed. The key symptom is the sense of the room spinning, but you may also develop a headache, ringing in your ears, and involuntary eye movements.
In some cases, vertigo is severe enough to make you lose your balance and fall. Some people also become nauseous.
Dizziness can occur because you’re tired, under stress, or dehydrated, but there are many possible underlying medical causes such as:
Although everyone is familiar with dizziness, it’s often associated with more than one symptom. You may feel:
Your dizziness may last a few seconds and happen only once, but if you have ongoing episodes, try to note what you were doing before it happened, how long it lasted, and how you felt before and after the dizziness. These details can help Dr. Borra diagnose the underlying cause.
Your treatment depends on the underlying cause of your vertigo or dizziness. You’ll need treatment for any underlying health conditions that are diagnosed. Dr. Borra may also prescribe medications to help relieve your symptoms.
Vertigo can often be treated through physical maneuvers that naturally move the calcium crystals out of the fluid.
If you have recurring or persistent dizziness or vertigo, call Dr. Borra or book an appointment online.
