Vertigo treatment available online today

Your doctor may have a pretty good idea of your vertigo causes based on your symptoms and medical history, but sometimes more extensive testing is required. Your doctor will first want to rule out life-threatening problems such as a stroke. During your initial appointment, you should be prepared to answer questions about:

• The first time you experienced vertigo did you feel lightheaded? Was the room spinning?

• Did you experience other vertigo symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, ringing in the ears, hearing loss, or a sense of fullness in the ear?

• How frequently your vertigo symptoms occur and how long they last

• Whether or how much your symptoms impact your daily living What triggers your vertigo symptoms or makes them worse, like turning your head in a specific direction

• What makes your symptoms improve?
  
  Your doctor may also do a physical examination to check for or rule out conditions that can cause vertigo. They may look inside your ears, check your eyes for signs of uncontrolled movement, check your balance, or try to recreate your symptoms by having you sit up or lay down quickly.

Your doctor may perform additional testing or refer you to a specialist for additional testing to evaluate vertigo causes. These tests may include:

• Hearing tests done by an ear, nose, and throat specialist (ENT) may be suggested if you are experiencing ringing in the ears (tinnitus) or hearing loss. The ENT may use a tuning fork or a machine that produces beeps at certain pitches to check for any hearing loss.

• Videonystagmography (VNG) helps look for signs of uncontrolled eye movements (nystagmus) in more detail. Nystagmus may indicate a problem with any of the systems that help you balance. You will be asked to wear special goggles and look at still or moving images. Video cameras inside the goggles record your eye movements and check for abnormalities.

• Caloric testing involves running warm or cool air or water into the ear for about 30 seconds. The sudden change in temperature stimulates the balance organ in your ear to see how well it's working. While the test isn't painful, it can cause dizziness that may take a while to wear off once the test is complete.

• Posturography uses a machine to test your balance. It gives useful information about how you are using your vision, proprioception (sensations from your feet and joints), and the input from your ear to maintain balance. This machine may also be used to track progress during rehabilitation.

• Scans can help check for structural problems in your brain such as tumors. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan uses a magnetic field and radio waves to show the inside of your head. A computerized tomography (CT) scan uses a series of x-rays to show the inside of your head.

Vertigo commonly lasts anywhere from several seconds to several minutes. However, in more complex cases, it could last hours, days, or even weeks. If your vertigo lasts longer than a few minutes, speak to a doctor about treatment options.

Stress alone is not a cause of vertigo, but stress can lead to issues within the inner ear. These problems with the inner ear could contribute to vertigo causes, as some adults report an increase in vertigo symptoms when stressed.

Some forms or vertigo may go away on their own, but for more severe vertigo, you may want to see a doctor to diagnose if there is a severe underlying cause. For severe forms of vertigo, treatment is helpful and effective.