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The smallest parts of your inner ear can cause serious disruption to your day if you are experiencing vertigo.
When this condition happens, it leaves you with a sensation of spinning and dizziness that makes it difficult to complete even the smallest tasks.
Sometimes, vertigo goes away on its own without treatment. But there are times when it’s necessary to talk to an ENT about treatment options to help you find relief.
Vertigo: A Symptom of Another Condition
Learn more about vertigo, and you will see that these symptoms usually aren’t a standalone condition. Instead, vertigo is often a symptom of an underlying condition.
The only way to find relief is by identifying and treating the condition that is causing you to experience vertigo. An ENT is a great resource to help you get to the bottom of this condition.
What is Vertigo?
It might feel like your world is rocking or spinning when you have vertigo. Even when you are sitting or lying still, there is a sensation that everything is moving around you.
Sometimes, vertigo symptoms are triggered by the body or head movements, causing a cascade of sensations that can be overwhelming.
Not only do you have visual disturbances and physical sensations, but these symptoms can trigger other symptoms such as vomiting or nausea.
How the Inner Ears Affect Vertigo
The ears play a role in helping to determine the position of the head and body. The delicate parts of the inner ear send signals about the motion and gravity you are experiencing.
If something goes wrong with the way the inner ears are sending signals, it can result in vertigo. There is a disconnect between what is happening around you and what you feel.
Because vertigo usually occurs due to what is happening in the inner ear, an ear, nose, and throat specialist is often the best resource to find relief.
Uncovering the Cause of Your Vertigo
There are many different causes of vertigo. Some of these conditions result in short-term symptoms, while other vertigo causes can result in ongoing symptoms.
Common causes of vertigo include:
- Injuries to the head or neck
- Migraines
- Using certain types of medication
- Ear infections
- Tumors
- Calcium particles in the ear
Some of these vertigo causes result in inflammation within the inner ear, which stops the ear from sending the right messages to the brain.
Vertigo Treatment Solutions from an ENT
Your ENT will first outline the diagnosis and then begin recommending potential treatment options.
Some types of vertigo are relatively easy to treat. For example, if you have an ear infection, then a round of antibiotics might do the trick to clear up the infection – and the vertigo symptoms will naturally subside as well.
If you are experiencing benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) because of the position of tiny particles in the ear, then exercises can help. These small particles are trapped by the hair cells, which affect the sensation of movement and gravity.
Exercises and specific movements can shift these particles. Then the systems are retrained to send the right signals to the brain.
If a viral infection causes vertigo, then you might need to wait for a few days or weeks for the virus to clear up.
Treating the Symptoms vs. the Cause
In rare cases, it’s challenging to identify the underlying cause of vertigo. In this situation, the doctor might recommend treatments to help you manage symptoms. These symptom treatments can also be helpful when you are using other treatments to clear up the root cause.
For example, vertigo often causes nausea and vomiting. One possible treatment is to use travel sickness pills while helping to minimize the symptoms. The pills can disrupt the message being sent between the ears and the brain, helping you feel less dizzy and sick.
Why Surgery Usually Isn’t Necessary for Vertigo Treatment
Occasionally, with severe cases of vertigo, it’s necessary to remove an obstruction or drain the ear through a surgical procedure. This surgery is a last-resort option if no other treatments are working to resolve the symptoms.
Surgery can result in partial or total hearing loss in the affected ear. So, vertigo surgery is only recommended when the symptoms are so severe that it stops the person from living a normal life.
Usually, all other treatment options are tried first before a doctor recommends surgical intervention.
How an Ear, Nose, and Throat Doctor Can Help with Vertigo
An ear, nose, and throat doctor specializes in diagnosing and treating upper respiratory conditions. Your doctor can assist with an examination and diagnostics to see if you are experiencing any of the common causes of vertigo.
Not only will the doctor look at your inner ear, but they will also ask for information about other symptoms you might be experiencing. It’s essential to evaluate your health history to find any potential connections with your lifestyle and symptoms.
Since a variety of health conditions can cause vertigo, it’s important that you are working with a specialist instead of a primary care physician. Treatment varies from patient to patient because the underlying cause needs to be identified first.
Consult with an ENT Specialist
Visiting an ENT is a great place to start when you are looking for solutions to correct vertigo issues. Our team stays up-to-date with the latest research and treatment options, ensuring that our patients receive top-of-the-line treatments.
One of the benefits of talking to an ENT is to learn more about the condition and your underlying causes. Then, you can make informed decisions about the best treatment plan going forward.
Are you ready to visit with an ENT in Collin County or near Dallas? Our experienced team at Collin County Ear, Nose, and Throat is always available to assist. In addition, we can schedule a consultation for you to visit an ENT at one of our nearby offices in Frisco or Plano, TX. Complete our online form for an appointment request, or call our office at (972) 596-4005.
