By Lucia Weeks


Small children often enjoy the sensation of dizziness caused by twirling in a circle. They are feeling a momentary distortion of the way orientation within a personal space is experienced, and how normal perceptions of balance can become temporarily confused. Vertigo is a severe form of dizziness that creates the alarming feeling that an individual or surroundings are spinning out of control. Vertigo treatment in Toronto, ON is helping victims combat those attacks.

When it occurs unintentionally, dizziness can be dangerous. It is one of the most common causes of falls plaguing the elderly, and results in short-term physical injury as well as long-term disability. Although not demographically confined to that group, combining the standard issues of the aged population with prescriptions for common medications used to combat them increases the chances of experiencing this problem.

The primary cause is often a disease or drug that alters how the inner ear functions. The human brain maintains balance by relying on information produced and transmitted by the eyes, muscles, joints, and soles of the feet, as well as the inner ear, which hosts an important fluid-filled structure called a labyrinth. When the liquid it contains shifts due to a change of actual physical position, the brain recognizes and accommodates that movement.

When communications and data input become physically distorted, the eyes often begin to move in response to a perceived motion, resulting in a feeling of intense vertigo and disorientation. One of the most common forms is BPPV, or benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, a condition that may be caused by unusual calcium deposits within the inner ear. It can occur at any stage of life.

Another common cause is Meniere's disease, characterized by extreme dizziness and general hearing loss. It causes a buildup of fluids within the ear, and the associated tinnitus may produce a constant sensation of underlying noise, and in some cases longer-term problems. Some people suffer from viral infections that encourage inflammation around inner ear structures, triggering subsequent balance problems.

A history of neck or head injuries, a stroke, or even serious migraine headaches can trigger an episode. During that time patients may become nauseated or experience profuse sweating. They may not be able to hear or comprehend normal speech, and sometimes show other signs of disorientation. While these symptoms may be unpredictable, they can last for hours. Fighting them effectively requires identifying and altering the underlying issues.

A treatment termed vestibular rehabilitation is designed to compensate for incorrect sensory information. It can be effective for those who have ongoing issues by intentionally circumventing the normal physical responses to movement. Patients find relief through individual training that creates specific body and head motions proven effective in dislodging calcium deposits, and which can be easily learned.

The same medications used to combat motion sickness can also be helpful during treatment, and antibiotics or steroids reduce inflammation. In the worst cases, surgical intervention may be required. While an attack may ebb, repeated occurrences should never simply be ignored. Even though many cases resolve without an obvious reason, the potential for injury while dizzy makes medical attention essential.




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