Have you felt dizzy while working or working out lately? Read on to know if you’re dealing with a vertigo attack and what you can do about it.
Whenever you feel unsteady, weak, or even woozy, don’t you often say, “I’m feeling dizzy!” It’s a more common and colloquial comment than “I am having a vertigo attack!”, although it’s not something you should ever rule out and go and get yourself checked thoroughly.
Have you felt dizzy while working or working out lately? Read on to know if you’re dealing with a vertigo attack and what you can do about it.
Whenever you feel unsteady, weak, or even woozy, don’t you often say, “I’m feeling dizzy!” It’s a more common and colloquial comment than “I am having a vertigo attack!”, although it’s not something you should ever rule out and go and get yourself checked thoroughly.
Recently, Bollywood actor Nushrratt Bharuccha was on a film set when she felt extremely dizzy and was rushed to the hospital. Later, she opened up and shared that the doctors diagnosed it as a vertigo attack, spurred by underlying stress. That stress, Nushrrat said, could also be a result of the general emotional and physical toll that the pandemic has had on everyone.
The result? She had to take rest for a week or more before bouncing back into action, but she ought to be careful.
Nushratt’s experience raised some questions in our mind about what is vertigo, how you know if it’s a vertigo attack, what to do if you have someone else around you get a vertigo attack, and ways to cure it.
So, we got in touch with Dr. Anita Bhandari, Neurotologist and Founder of NeuroEquilibrium, to understand it a little better. Here’s what we asked.
Why is dizziness so common?
“Vertigo and dizziness can be one of the most unsettling and often scary feelings,” says Dr. Bhandari, and explains that it is a sensation of spinning or unsteadiness.
Why does a vertigo attack occur?
It can affect people of all ages. Dizziness increases the risk of falls and can be a health hazard for people over 60. Vertigo can occur due to many reasons. The inner ear, which controls the balance of the body, is the most common area to be affected. The inner ear contains a liquid called endolymph, and calcium carbonate crystals which are responsible for maintaining the equilibrium of the body. Changes in endolymph pressure, displacement of the calcium crystals, and inflammation of the balance nerve are the most common causes of Vertigo due to the inner ear.
Vertigo can also occur due to disorders related to blood pressure fluctuations, anemia, uncontrolled diabetes, etc. Sometimes, vertigo and balance problems are due to disorders of the nervous system like vestibular migraine or strokes. So every case of vertigo should be evaluated to find the underlying cause.
What should you do if you get a vertigo attack?
Firstly, don’t panic!
1. The most important thing to remember at the onset is to sit or lie down to avoid falling.
2. Try to understand what you are feeling and if anything is worsening your symptoms.
3. Are you having any of these symptoms – severe headache, blurring of vision, slurring speech, or weakness in any part of the body? Remember to share this information with your doctor.
Vertigo patients require a detailed analysis of history along with specialized tests to diagnose the underlying cause. We often see that these patients are given medicines to suppress the symptoms temporarily. However, what these patients actually require is a detailed evaluation with specialized tests like Videonystagmography, Subjective Visual Vertical,vHIT, and Dynamic Visual Acuity, etc.
The evaluation helps in diagnosing the underlying cause, which paves the way to optimum treatment.
Different disorders which lead to dizziness will require different modes of treatment. For example, one of the most common causes of vertigo is BPPV, a condition where the calcium carbonate crystals in the inner ear get displaced to the wrong position. BPPV is what top Australian batsman Steve Smith suffered from before his second one-day match against India in the last series in 2020. The management of BPPV is based on identifying the location of the displaced crystal by the specialized tests and then the doctor performing specific exercises called repositioning maneuvers to set the crystals back in the correct position.
