Vertigo vs Dizziness

Dizziness is a common problem that has various underlying causes. Dizziness causes lightheadedness that gives a sensation of being unsteady, whereas vertigo on the other hand is a response to a physiological factor causing an actual imbalance in the body. Dizziness restricts one from focussing or seeing straight, standing upright, or maintaining balance. It may even cause tunnel vision where your peripheral vision goes dark for a couple of seconds.

Vertigo induces a rocking or spinning sensation even when you are standing still. The scariest part of vertigo is its abrupt onset and the intensity of its response. Dizziness is an altered sense of spatial orientation, a distortion of the sense of space impacting one’s balance. Vertigo is the real deal that hampers one’s movements and is responsible for causing other symptoms and complications.

Symptoms and Causes

Dizziness

Various factors such as insomnia, unhealthy eating habits, overexertion, illnesses, or mild infections such as head cold or flu are the most common factors that cause dizziness. Simple movements such as standing up too quickly after a prolonged period of sitting can result in dizziness as well. Some common symptoms of dizziness are lightheadedness, tunnel vision,

fainting spells, and poor balance.

Vertigo

Vertigo is usually caused by an imbalance in the inner ear - which is responsible for balance and the center of gravity, also known as the vestibular system.  

Some of the most common causes for vertigo include BPPV or Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo which entails small calcium particles accumulating in the inner ear tampering with the signals about the head and the body movement to the brain. BPPV  has no known cause and affects people of all ages.

Meniere’s disease is an inner ear disorder caused due to a buildup of fluid that changes the inner ear pressure. This pressure change and manipulation can result in vertigo, tinnitus, and even hearing loss.

Vestibular neuritis is another inner ear problem that is caused by an infection - usually viral. The infection causes inflammation in the inner ear affecting the body’s sense of balance and space.

Migraines affect the body’s sensitivity to light and sound and impact one’s vestibular system causing vertigo. Migraines may also be responsible for impaired vision during an ongoing episode of vertigo.

Cardiovascular issues such as a stroke can affect your body’s movement and hamper your full range of motion. If you have recently suffered a stroke, you may suffer from vertigo. Injury, brain problems such as tumors, certain medications that cause ear damage may also be responsible for vertigo.

Vertigo is triggered by head movement and a change in its position. Some common symptoms associated with vertigo are nausea, vomiting, abnormal eye movements, headache, sweating, ringing in the ears, or temporary hearing loss. Secondary symptoms of vertigo may include double vision, inability to focus, speech aphasia, and arm or leg weakness.

Types of Physical Therapy Treatments

Physical therapy treatments have proven effective against vestibular disorders. Vestibular rehabilitation is designed to treat and minimize dizziness, motion sensitivity, vertigo, balance disorders, and disequilibrium helping the patient lead a normal life.

Vestibular Rehabilitation therapy begins with a thorough evaluation of your vestibular system’s efficacy, functionality by assessing the balance, postural control, tolerance to movement, and reflexes. It allows physiotherapists to determine the underlying cause of dizziness and develop a customized treatment plan to alleviate symptoms helping you feel better.

Based on the evaluation results and your goals, the treatment plan devised by your physical therapists focuses on getting you moving again and managing vertigo at the same time. Treatment may include specialized head and neck movements that can be performed by your physical therapists. Your therapist may even teach you specialized movements and strengthening exercises that can be easily carried out at home reducing symptoms of vertigo and dizziness.

Types of Exercises

Strengthening the vestibulo-ocular reflex remains the key to manage the problem of dizziness and vertigo. It helps jumpstart the connection between our inner ears, eyes, and brain enabling smooth operation and signal transmission between the vestibular system. 

Substitution exercises are used to train the body to use information from vision and other joints in the body to create spatial awareness. These exercises help train our eyes to stay focussed on a target without messing with our balance.

Habituation exercises help in reducing the severity of vestibular dysfunction. It exposes the patient to an aggravating stimulus multiple times which fatigues the vestibular system and prepares the body to get used to the new stimuli.

The treatment for vestibular hypofunction can take anywhere from a couple of weeks to a few months depending on the type and severity of discomfort. Vestibular rehabilitation can completely eliminate symptoms for vestibular disorders and help manage symptoms for other disorders caused due to vertigo and dizziness helping you lead a normal life.