Vertigo is a feeling of being off-balance, disoriented, & unsteady. People with vertigo often feel as if their surroundings are spinning or moving out of control. They often also get motion sick, & get nauseous, have vomiting spells, & sometimes, even experience migraine headaches. Vertigo is usually caused by a problem with the inner ear. The inner ear houses the vestibular system, which is responsible for maintaining the balance & position of our body in space. The balance of our body works with the help & coordination of three organ systems; the vestibular system, the eyes, & the leg muscles. Signals from the three are sent to the brain, which then processes them to form a clear idea of the body’s position and balance in space. In this article know about the best exercises for vertigo.
When even a single one of these doesn’t work properly, there exists the risk of a patient feeling dizzy, motion sick, or nauseous. Vertigo is usually of two types; Peripheral Vertigo, & Central Vertigo.
Peripheral vertigo is caused by an issue with the inner ear. When the inner ear encounters some problems with the way it functions, either due to an infection or an injury, it creates issues with the way the brain processes balance signals. This causes dizziness, nausea, & lightheadedness in patients susceptible to it.
Central Vertigo arises out of a problem with the central nervous system. Causes include certain autoimmune disorders like Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus, & other diseases. Central Vertigo is usually chronic in nature, & causes fewer symptoms. While Peripheral Vertigo is easily treatable in most cases, & also causes relatively intense longer-lasting symptoms.
Vertigo symptoms:
Vertigo generally causes a wide range of symptoms in patients. Not every person experiences similar symptoms, but there are a few common symptoms that are experienced by everyone.
These common vertigo symptoms include:
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Lightheadedness
- Migraine headaches
- A spinning sensation, or a feeling that the room is spinning or moving around
- Motion Sickness
- Occasional hearing loss, especially if the person is suffering from Meniere’s Disease
- Tinnitus, a constant ringing, buzzing, hissing, or roaring sound in the ears
- A feeling of pressure inside the ears
- Nystagmus, abnormal eye movements back & forth or up & down
- Inability to maintain straight gait
- Inability to walk in a straight line
Vertigo causes:
Vertigo causes range from inner ear issues to central nervous system problems. In most cases, an inner ear issue is a cause behind vertigo symptoms. Some other common causes of vertigo include:
Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo(BPPV):
BPPV is one of the most common causes of vertigo, accounting for about 80% of all cases. BPPV is caused by tiny calcium deposits in the middle ear breaking loose from their original position and getting deposited in the semicircular canal of the inner ear. These crystals normally don’t cause any issues with the body’s balance when they’re in the middle ear, but they are motion-sensitive. Thus, they cause problems with the body’s balance when they’re in the semicircular canal of the inner ear, leading to dizziness, nausea, motion sickness, vomiting, & other vertigo-like symptoms.
Meniere’s Disease:
Meniere’s Disease is an inner ear disorder that’s caused by an excessive amount of fluid inside the ears. This leads to feelings of pressure inside the ear, hearing loss in the affected ear, & tinnitus(ringing in the ears). Meniere’s Disease can also cause dizziness, vertigo, & uneasiness.
Vestibular Neuritis:
Vestibular Neuritis is an inner ear infection that affects the vestibular nerve. This nerve is responsible for carrying balance-related signals from the inner ear to the brain & vice-versa. When this nerve gets inflamed or infected due to a bacterial or viral infection, it causes problems with how the signals are transmitted. This leads to dizziness, nausea, lightheadedness, vomiting, motion sickness, etc.
Labyrinthitis:
Labyrinthitis is an inner ear disorder that results in an infection of the labyrinth inside the inner ear. The labyrinth is the organ that helps maintain the balance of the body by transferring balance signals between the brain and the inner ear. When this organ gets swollen, there is a misfire between the actual balance signals & those being processed. This leads to dizziness, nausea, vomiting, motion sickness, & other vertigo-like symptoms.
Other less common vertigo causes include:
- A head injury
- Head trauma
- An illness or ongoing infection, either bacterial or viral
- Standing too long at a place for a long time
- Whiplash
- Ear surgery
- Neck surgery
- Heart attack, or a Transient Ischemic Attack(Mini-stroke)
In some cases, vertigo causes are unknown.
Vertigo & Dizziness treatment:
Vertigo & dizziness treatment usually depends on the exact cause of your vertigo. Depending on the exact causes of your vertigo, & coupled with your medical history, your doctor will formulate an adequate vertigo treatment plan for you.
Your vertigo & dizziness treatment will usually consist of:
- Vertigo medicines
- Vertigo exercises
- Home remedies
- Surgery
BPPV is by far the most common & most easily treatable form of vertigo. Its treatment involves certain vertigo exercises called the canalith repositioning maneuvers, that help release the wrongly deposited calcium crystals in the inner ear, back to their original position in the middle ear.
Your doctor will usually perform these vertigo exercises themselves in their office. Sometimes, they may give you proper instructions on how to perform these on yourself.
These vertigo exercises include:
Epley maneuver:
The Epley Maneuver is a widely known vertigo exercise, often used as the first treatment option for vertigo & dizziness treatment. The Epley Maneuver gives quite long-lasting results to vertigo patients in a short amount of time. To perform the Epley Maneuver safely at home, follow the steps mentioned below.
Please note, the steps below are for left-ear BPPV.
- Sit on the edge of your bed & turn your head 45 degrees to the left. Place a pillow under your shoulders such that when you lie down, your shoulders are resting on the pillow rather than your head.
- Next, lie down on your back quickly with your head resting on the bed at a 45-degree angle. Keep the pillow under your shoulders. Maintain this position for at least 30 seconds.
- Turn your head at a right angle without lifting your head. Hold for 30 seconds at this point.
- Now turn your head & your entire body to the right. Do the movement in such a way that you are facing the floor. Hold this position for 30 seconds.
- Next, slowly sit up while remaining on the bed for a few minutes.
- Wait at least 15 minutes before resuming everyday activities.
For right-ear BPPV, simply reverse the direction of the steps. Turn your head first to the right, lie down, then turn your head & body towards the left at a right angle. You should ideally perform the Epley Maneuver vertigo exercises thrice each day in a set of 5 until you go 24 hours without experiencing vertigo symptoms.
Semont Maneuver:
The Semont Maneuver is another well-known & efficient vertigo exercise for efficient & long-lasting vertigo treatment. It’s often prescribed to BPPV patients for providing relief to them from their symptoms. Follow the steps mentioned below to perform the exercises by yourself at home.
The steps mentioned below are for when you have left-ear BPPV.
- Sit on the edge of your bed & turn your head 45 degrees to the right.
- Quickly lie on your left side, & maintain this position for 30 seconds.
- Now quickly move towards the opposite side of your bed, & lie down there without changing the direction of your head. Keep your head at a 45-degree angle & lie down for about 30 seconds. Ensure that you are looking towards the floor.
- Return slowly to your original position & wait another few minutes.
- Wait for at least 15 minutes before returning to everyday activities.
For right-ear BPPV, simply reverse the steps in the right direction. Repeat these steps every day about three times until your symptoms show signs of improvement.
Brandt-Daroff exercises:
Brandt-Daroff exercises are unique in that they utilize gravity to dislodge the calcium crystals inside the inner ear & place them back at their original position in the inner ear.
To perform these exercises, follow the steps given below.
- Sit in an upright position on your bed.
- Tilt your head away from the vertigo-affected side at a 45-degree angle. Move into a lying position on one side with your nose pointed upwards.
- Stay in this position for about 30 seconds or until your vertigo symptoms subside, whichever comes before. Move back into your original sitting position.
- Repeat the exercises on the other side.
Patients should aim to perform these exercises up to three to five times in a single session. Start by performing the exercises three times every day for 2 weeks or until your vertigo symptoms is gone.
