Close to 40% of adults in the US experience vertigo. For this reason, every chiropractor for vertigo in McKinney tries to explain to patients the reasoning behind their symptoms.
If you’ve ever felt as though you or your surroundings are spinning for no reason, this sensation is what doctors refer to as vertigo. It is a form of dizziness but with a rotational component. This may come with nausea, perspiration, vomiting, or difficulty in walking. The good thing is that there are remedies that work to minimize or eliminate vertigo symptoms. Let’s take a look at some of them.
Two Vertigo Types
Depending on where the identified dysfunction is, vertigo can fall under central or peripheral type:
Central Vertigo
If the dysfunction affects the vestibular structures or the balance centers of the central nervous system, it is central vertigo. This can stem from ischemic or hemorrhagic insults to the cerebellum or brainstem. The accompanying movement illusion and nausea are not as prominent as peripheral vertigo.
Central vertigo causes slurred speech and double vision, which are symptoms of neurological deficits. It can also feature nystagmus, a vision condition where the eye makes irregular movements. In worse cases, patients experience difficulties in standing or walking; some cannot do any of the two. Recovery from this type of vertigo is significantly slower than peripheral vertigo.
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Peripheral Vertigo
This vertigo type results in hearing loss, ringing in the ears, and pain or congestion in the affected ear. Patients also experience motion sickness, a mild to moderate imbalance, nausea, and emesis. Problems in the inner ear or vestibular system cause this type of vertigo, which is also referred to as otologic or vestibular vertigo. Facial weakness on the same side is also a known symptom of the lesion.
How The Vestibular System Connects With Vertigo
The vestibular system is the primary manager of the body’s balance and movement coordination. It monitors our sense of spatial orientation and works with the visual system, which sends signals to the neural structures about eye movements. These neural structures control the muscles that keep us upright. The vestibular system is a part of the inner ear that includes the cochlea, otoliths, the semicircular canals, and the labyrinth.
Otolith organs detect linear acceleration and gravity, while the semicircular canals indicate rotational movement. The movement of the fluid inside these semicircular canals correlates with the rotation of the head. When there is a disconnect between the said fluid's movement vis-a-vis the head movement, people may experience vertigo.
Common “Vertigo Conditions”
Vertigo can be a symptom of these three conditions and many others. Every chiropractor for vertigo in Mckinney cannot stress enough the need for a thorough understanding of these conditions. You probably didn’t know, but specific movements can trigger one of them, and having an idea ahead of time can help you deal with or prevent vertigo.
BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo)
Abrupt changes in the head’s position may trigger mild to severe sensations of spinning. For example, tilting your head in an upward or downward motion or sitting up from a flat position. BPPV can also strike when you lay yourself down or when you roll over.
These are the common symptoms observed with BPPV:
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- A feeling of being unsteady or lacking balance
- An impression that you or your surroundings are rotating
The sensation is temporary. When the head moves, the fluid in the ear moves accordingly. When this fluid doesn’t stop its motion, even if the head has already stopped moving, the body tends to experience BPPV.
Labyrinthitis and vestibular neuritis
When the labyrinth or vestibular nerve starts to swell due to certain problems, they may send improper signals to the brain. This may trigger sudden bouts of vertigo.
Most patients suffering from any of these conditions experience lightheadedness and a temporary loss of hearing. This often happens within two weeks after getting sick with the flu. If the vertigo is due to labyrinthitis and vestibular neuritis, it may not go away until the inflammation gets treated. You may also experience the following symptoms:
- Vomiting
- Loss of hearing
- A ringing in the ears
Most labyrinthitis and vestibular neuritis cases are due to a bacterial or viral infection, such as middle ear infection, upper respiratory infection (URTI), a cold, or the common flu.
Meniere’s Disease
This is a chronic condition caused by a build-up of an abnormal amount of fluid in the middle ear. Most patients fall in the 20 – 50-year-old age groups. This disorder causes tinnitus, fluctuating loss of hearing, and vertigo.
Managing Vertigo Conditions Naturally
Upper cervical chiropractic care has given many patients relief from vertigo. Misalignment of the top bones of the neck can put a lot of stress on the brainstem, causing vertigo. The cerebellum, which sits behind the brainstem, controls our balance and fine motor movement. If this is under stress due to the said misalignment, its signal-sending may go awry. The lack of coordination between the signals sent and what our eyes and ears perceive may cause dizziness, vomiting, and other symptoms that point to vertigo.
Upper cervical chiropractic care is available, and it is easy to schedule an appointment with a chiropractor for vertigo in Mckinney. These professionals employ a gentle and precise approach that helps correct the misalignment in the spine.
If you find yourself experiencing any of the symptoms listed above, consult with us before things escalate. We recommend that you seek the help of a qualified and highly experienced chiropractor for vertigo in Mckinney so that we can discuss early interventions and implement them. Vertigo can cause discomfort and may be debilitating, but some methods can help manage the symptoms. Contact Crowder Specific Chiropractic today and experience the safe and effective chiropractic care that can combat vertigo.
To schedule a complimentary consultation with Dr. Crowder, call our McKinney office at 972-562-0674. You can also click the button below.
If you are outside of the local area, you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.