Home Remedies and Herbs for Vertigo

Vertigo is a term used to describe a feeling of dizziness. With vertigo, the person experiencing it feels as though their surrounding environment is spinning or that they themselves are moving.¹ Vertigo is considered a symptom of an underlying condition rather than a condition itself. Vertigo can range from mild to intense. Vertigo can come in the form of attacks, whereby the dizziness feeling comes on suddenly and lasts for a few seconds. Severe vertigo can interfere with daily life, making it difficult to perform tasks.¹ It’s important to note that vertigo is different than lightheadedness. Vertigo is a sense of dizziness and lack of balance. Lightheadedness is a feeling that you may faint and has different causes than vertigo.⁴

What Causes Vertigo?

There are many different vertigo causes that depend on which condition is the root cause of vertigo symptoms. There are two main types of vertigo each with their own causes. Vertigo causes are classified in the following two types:²

• Peripheral Vertigo - The most common vertigo causes are due to problems with the inner ear, which controls sense of balance. The most common peripheral vertigo causes include the following conditions: ^{2 3}
• Head injury
• Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)
• Ménière's disease
• Labyrinthitis
• Vestibular neuronitis
• Certain medications
• Central Vertigo - Central vertigo causes are due to problems with the brain. This is due to different conditions that may affect the cerebellum, the brainstem or other parts of the brain. Central vertigo causes can be due to the following types of conditions:^{2 4}
• Brain tumors
• Acoustic neuroma
• Migraines
• Multiple sclerosis
• Stoke
• Certain types of medications

Vertigo Symptoms

Vertigo symptoms can range from barely noticeable to extremely intense. They can last only a few seconds or can stay with you throughout your day. The most common vertigo symptoms include:

• Dizziness
• A loss of balance which makes it difficult to walk or stand
• Feeling sick or actually becoming sick

Severe vertigo symptoms may last several days, making it very difficult to perform daily activities without feeling dizzy. Most cases of vertigo quickly pass or get better on their own. There are many vertigo natural treatments that make it easy to help vertigo sensations pass safely and effectively.

References

1. http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Vertigo/Pages/Introduction.aspx
2. http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Vertigo/Pages/Causes.aspx
3. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/vertigo/basics/definition/con-20028216
4. http://www.umm.edu/health/medical/ency/articles/dizziness