There are many people who have experienced dizziness and imbalance issues, and only a handful of them know about vertigo. Related to this, there are even some myths about vertigo that fails to distinguish it from other imbalance disorders.
Reading this post will help you know about 10 vertigo myths that are essential to identify its symptoms correctly and don’t let it get confused with other balancing issues.
Myth 1 – Vertigo is Acrophobia
Acrophobia, commonly known as fear of heights is a situation that one experiences at a high altitude level. But this is not vertigo. It is because vertigo is a spinning sensation or feeling of the false head or body movement. A person suffering from vertigo tends to feel that the surroundings around her are spinning. There are many causes of vertigo. The problem occurs in the form of vertigo attacks that can take place at any time of the day, even when the person is at the ground level. In acrophobia, a person experiences such sensations only when he is at a certain height.
Myth 2 – Vertigo is an Illness
Don’t consider vertigo as another illness or disease. Rather it is a symptom of a core disease. Some of the common diseases during which a person can experience vertigo are vestibular issues, nervous system disorders, diabetes, hypotension, anaemia, and more. If a person experiences vertigo attacks as an underlying symptom of a disease, then it is essential to consult a doctor immediately. If neglected, then the problem can become chronic.
Hence, it is advisable to treat vertigo at the onset as soon as you experience the very first attack.
Myth 3 – Vertigo is Light headedness
Light headedness is the feeling of fainting that subsides when one lies down straight. Contrary to this, vertigo is a feeling of motion when you are in a still position. The vertigo sensation continues to occur even when you sway down or tilt.
The common reasons for vertigo are various medical conditions that usually occur because of issues in nervous system and ears. On the other hand, light headedness can occur because of weakness, allergic reaction, anxiety, or as a side effect of a medication.
If you are vertigo patient, then most probably you would suffer light headedness as well. It is a common feeling that goes away once the triggered issue soothes down.
Myth 4 – Vertigo is Untreatable
A common myth among vertigo sufferers is that vertigo is untreatable. People believe that the symptom would go away with time. However, vertigo can be a lifelong problem. The best part is it is treatable. There are some tips that vertigo patients can follow to get over this issue:
Seek medical intervention right from the onset of vertigo
Consult an ENT specialist and a neurologist as a general physician would not be able to cure the problem. This issue required specialized treatment from experts.
An amalgamation of medication and physical therapy can be adopted.
Some lifestyle and dietary changes can reduce vertigo to a great extent. But the problem can be cured only after proper diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
Myth 5 – Vertigo can be cured with Home Remedies
Home remedies are great to reduce the discomfort experienced with vertigo; however, they cannot be used to treat the problem. Vertigo is associated with other problems like vomiting, nausea, fatigue, headache, and more. In severe cases, the symptoms can accompany diminished cognitive ability, numbness of body part, migraine, fainting, and more.
In such situations, quick intervention through appropriate home remedies can solve the problem to some extent, but cannot cure the issue completely. Adequate hydration, proper rest, vitamin D supplements, ginger, and other natural supplements can help improve the balance disorders. But these treatments would only work when combined with proper medication.
Before you adopt any such remedy, it is always wise to consult a doctor. This would help you avoid experiencing any kind of side-effect.
Myth 6 – Vertigo Calms Down on its own
Vertigo attack may occur and subside over time. But this does not mean that the problem is solved. If the triggering factors are not diagnosed and treated, then the problem would recur again. If vertigo triggers because of inadequate rest, medication, stress, or dehydration then take necessary steps at once. If the underlying cause is more severe then you must take medical treatment. This will ensure that the issue does not become chronic.
Myth 7 – Vertigo and Labyrinthitis are same
Vertigo is not a disease and Labyrinthitis is a medical situation resulted from inflammation of inner ear’s labyrinth. In fact, it is one of the causes of vertigo and not vertigo itself. When vertigo is combined with a hearing loss, then this is a situation known as labyrinthitis.
Myth 8 – Vertigo is a Brain Problem
Imbalance disorders can occur because of problems in the central nervous system, circulatory issues, vestibular problem or inner ear issue, tumours, and many more. In most of the cases, vertigo occurs because of inner ear disorders that require therapy, medication, and sometimes surgery.
Myth 9 – Vertigo does not Affect Hearing
In most of the cases, vertigo occurs because of disturbances in the inner ear. The inner ear is responsible for hearing loss and balancing issues. Vertigo affects the hearing ability depending on its underlying cause. For example, in Labyrinthitis and Meniere’s disease, the hearing loss is accompanied by vertigo.
Myth 10 – Vertigo is an Old Age Problem
Don’t fell into the trap that vertigo is just an old age problem. People of all age groups can experience vertigo. Even small children can suffer vertigo because of balance problem. Since vertigo can result in unexpected fall of a person hence, it can be sometimes life-threatening.
Vertigo is not a lifelong problem, but vertigo attacks can frequently occur if the root cause is not identified and treated. If you don’t suffer any hearing loss, then this does not mean you may not have any balance disorder. So, while these are 10 common vertigo myths, debunked. There are many more myths surrounding vertigo. You must have got enough idea of what vertigo is and how it is different from other common disorders.
Infographic Source: https://www.neuroequilibrium.in/vertigo_infographic/
Neuro Equilibrium ( https://www.neuroequilibrium.in ) is India’s Largest & Most Advanced Chain of Vertigo Treatment Clinics with some of the cutting – edge and patent-pending technologies developed and manufactured in India. Through these technologies, the underlying cause of vertigo is diagnosed which was not possible earlier and treated accordingly.