Dizziness & Vertigo

Dizziness and vertigo can occasionally happen to anyone, but they should never become a chronic problem. If dizziness and vertigo occur frequently, they can signal a serious underlying problem that needs prompt treatment from RHBNeuro. Randi Baculi, MD, and Sanam Zaidi, PA-C, run cutting-edge diagnostic tests and create a customized treatment plan to relieve your dizziness and vertigo. Call the office in Dallas, Texas, or request an appointment online if you need help with dizziness or vertigo.

What are dizziness and vertigo?

Dizziness refers to feelings of faintness, unsteadiness, loss of balance, or vertigo. Vertigo is the sensation that your surroundings are spinning.

If you have vertigo, you can also experience:

• Disorientation
• Loss of balance
• Nausea and vomiting
• Ringing in your ears
• Headaches
• Uncontrollable eye movements

Though vertigo is a kind of dizziness, you can have vertigo without feeling lightheaded.

What causes dizziness?

You can have dizziness as a result of problems like:

• Inner ear infection
• Ear disorders
• Migraines
• Allergies
• Traumatic brain injury
• Neurological disorders
• Heart disease
• Low blood sugar
• Medication
• Dehydration

Being under extreme stress can also lead to dizziness.

What causes vertigo?

Vertigo develops if you have a condition that affects your inner ear or the nerve connecting your ear to your brain. You can also experience vertigo if you have a problem in the part of your brain that regulates balance.

Conditions that often cause vertigo include:

• Inner ear infections
• Inflamed or damaged nerves
• Meniere’s disease
• Migraines
• Dementia
• Strokes
• Tumors
• Concussions
• Multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)

Of all the possible causes, BPPV is one of the most common. BPPV happens when calcium crystals in your inner ear interfere with the fluid-filled tubes that regulate balance.

How are dizziness and vertigo diagnosed?

Your diagnosis begins with a review of your symptoms, a thorough exam, and running lab work or diagnostic imaging.

Your provider might do one of several tests, including:

• Posturography (assesses your balance systems)
• Electronystagmography (shows how well your eye and ear nerves are working)
• Videonystagmography (measures involuntary eye movements)
• Rotary chair test (reveals if you have an ear or central nervous system problem)
• Dix-Hallpike maneuver (to diagnose BPPV)

RHBNeuro uses high-level diagnostic tools to identify the cause of your symptoms and guide the best treatments. This includes digital cognitive assessments (to identify dizziness and vertigo caused by dementia) and wireless, gelless electroencephalograms (EEGs).

How are dizziness and vertigo treated?

Dizziness and vertigo usually improve with treatment. Your treatment can include medication (to relieve vertigo, dizziness, and nausea), body maneuvers (to correct BPPV), and balance therapy. Balance therapy uses exercises that teach your brain to gradually overcome dizziness.

Getting prompt treatment is necessary not only to relieve your symptoms but also to prevent falls due to dizziness and vertigo. Call RHBNeuro or book your appointment online.

You may be asked to see an ENT before visiting RHBNeuro, this will help you receive the fastest possible care.