Sar Jo Tera Chakraye… Vertigo (Chakkar)!
Dr Siddhartha Saoji M.S (ENT)
Consultant Surgeon, ENT Department
Orange City Hospital & Research Institute.
What is Vertigo?
It is the sensation of spinning, similar to one we experience when we get down from merry go round and still feel dizzy …that’s what is vertigo. It’s only a symptom just like fever and not a disease.
Types of vertigo?
Mainly four types
• Ear related (inner ear)- Most common
• Neurological
• Medical :- due to Hypertension/diabetes/thyroid dysfunction
• Psychogenic
Complaints a person may have with vertigo/dizziness?
- Sense of rotation
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Ringing sensation in ears (Tinnitus)
- Heaviness in ear
- Decreased hearing.
Problems a person can face having vertigo
- In most of the conditions lying down makes a person feel better but with positional vertigo any position can initiate a vertigo attack Eg:- like even on lying down
- patient feels traumatic
- patient receives lesser sympathy to symptoms as compared to cardiac or neurological conditions
- symptoms are generally neglected which increases stress which further increases the symptoms
Which are the common causes for vertigo ?
- Around 60-70% of vertigo is related to ear (inner) thus is the most common cause for vertigo But people generally believe vertigo is related to brain…!!!!!
- Amongst the ear related causes of vertigo…BPPV( Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo) Is the most common.
BPPV in short…..
BPPV= Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo
- Occurs due to deposition of otolith (calcium carbonate microscopic stones /grains) in the inner ear fluid
- Seen generally in age group of 50-60 years
- More common in females
Symptoms:-
• short duration rotatory/spinning sensation (few seconds) • sudden in onset
• associated with head or neck movements
Management of vertigo
- taking a proper history
- neuro-otological examination
- coming to correct and proper diagnosis
- particle repositioning manoeuvre (PRM) for BPPV
- Medicines (vestibular Sedatives) for symptomatic improvement *(Medicine not to be taken for long duration for treating BPPV)
- symptomatic treatment for nausea/ vomiting
- various exercises to prevent similar attacks in future -Relaxation exercises to reduce stress