Does anyone have any advice for vertigo? My mom had it really bad today.?

Question

She was nauseated, dizzy and couldn't bend over, pale and clammy. She only has these spells about once or twice a year, but she was in bed most of the day. I was worried about her. I was just wondering if anybody knows anything she can do for an attack or how to prevent it. Could this have been brought on by anxiety? Her mom and dad, and sister passed away over the last couple of years and we were selling a lot of their things today in a yard sale. I was thinking that might have had something to do with her vertigo attack.

Answer 1

Vertigo is not a disease in itself, but rather a symptom that can have any number of causes. The famous Alfred Hitchcock film notwithstanding, a fear of heights is not normally one of them. Vertigo is defined in Webster's dictionary as a feeling "in which the external world seems to revolve around the individual or in which the individual seems to revolve in space." Occurring without warning, it comes and goes unpredictably and is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting and problems with equilibrium. Mild episodes may feel more like a rocking sensation or mere light-headedness.


Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), the kind that was mistaken for Meniere's Disease is one of the most common types of vertigo. It has many causes, not all of which are well understood. The most popular current theory is that it is usually caused by free-floating calcium carbonate crystals in an area of the inner ear called the posterior semicircular canal, which is part of the vestibular system.


The vestibular system, located in and around the ear, is responsible for integrating what we see, hear and feel with head and body movement. In short, it controls our body's sense of equilibrium. More specifically, the vestibular system works by monitoring head movement and then sending this information to organs inside the ear, which then relay the information to the brain.

Our ears play an essential part in this process. The inner ear contains an area called the labyrinth, in which are found three semicircular canals; these canals are surrounded by a special fluid. The canals' function is to transmit information about head movement to the vestibular nerve. This nerve passes the information along to the areas of the brain that control bodily coordination.


People with BPPV feel lightheaded. The lightheadedness is is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, sweating and a skin pallor. It usually comes on suddenly and goes away in less than 30 seconds.

BPPV can be brought on by a sudden change in body position, such as turning over in bed or getting in and out of bed. Many people have only a single passing bout of BPPV but, for some, BPPV returns unexpectedly.


Meniere's Syndrome
Meniere's syndrome is another common cause of vertigo. Characterized by deafness, ringing in the ears and occasional vertigo,9,11 its cause is unknown. People with Meniere's get a feeling of fullness or pressure in the ear, followed by hearing loss in one ear, which is soon followed by vertigo. The vertigo builds in intensity over several hours and is sometimes accompanied by nausea and vomiting. The hearing loss gradually becomes total, at which point the vertigo begins to go away until it finally disappears.

Less Common Causes
There are many less common causes of vertigo. These include stroke, brain tumors, low blood pressure, heart arrhythmias, multiple sclerosis and migraine headache. Many prescription and non-prescription drugs can cause dizziness or vertigo. In some susceptible people, cold and flu medicines, painkillers, as well as treatments for high blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid disease, depression and anxiety can produce lightheadedness and dizziness.




Anyone with recurring or severe dizziness or vertigo should see a doctor. Most of the time, the most serious cause will be BPPV or Meniere's, both of which can be treated and controlled with drugs and other non-surgical therapy. It is particularly urgent, however, to seek medical treatment if the dizziness or vertigo occurs together with one or more of the following symptoms, which can be a sign of a more serious underlying heath problem:
Severe or "different" headache
Blurred vision
Hearing loss
Speech problems
Weakness in a leg or arm
Fainting
Problems walking
Numbness or tingling
Chest pain or changes in heart rate


Severe attacks are treated with vestibular suppressant drugs; in between, Meniere's symptoms are often controlled by reducing salt intake and by taking diuretic drugs, which reduce the amount of fluids in the body.


For similar reasons, people with Meniere's should avoid alcohol, coffee, chocolate and other foods that are high in sugar or salt. As with BPPV, surgery is a last resort


As you didn't mention any other accompanying serious symptoms that require immediate medical attention. I strongly suspect that in the case of your mother due to these stressful crises( deaths in the family) that your family and her are undergoing at the present time is the main cause for her anxiety attacks. An anxiety behavioral disorder can be very paralyzing; depressing.and very personal. She might need some antidepressants if any. and anti-antixiety drug such as Paxil.


A crisis situation of losing loved ones and the adjustment of dealing with the grieving process can be very traumatic. Hopefully, she eventually learn to let go. I hope she vent her feelings of loss thru crying. Your emotional support and understanding at this crucial and trying times is needed.

Answer 2

Vertigo is usually associated with a problem of the inner ear, so stress is probably not the cause, although stress makes everything worse imho. Perhaps what she is having is a panic attack, which has a lot of the same symptoms (dizziness and clammy) as vertigo. Neither is fun.

There is prescription anti-vertigo medication (antivert), it is a more powerful version of Dramamine. It makes you very sleepy so you only take it when you can refrain from driving (which you wouldn't want to do while having a vertigo attack anyway.) Your mom should check in with the doctor to make sure everything is OK, and if she is having panic attacks, they can help her with that.

Good luck, you are nice to care.

Answer 3

How sad for the both of you! Fortunately your mother is very wise. She knows your friend is still your friend, regardless of her current pastors will, and your mother and faith understands this. Just think in a few years when that Pastor has a true enlightenment and chances his sermons - you can rekindle your friendship. A human misunderstanding has happened, too bad there is no higher human to change this horror that has befallen that flock. Some pastors are not good with people as you'd think and are more comfortable with behind the scenes religious life, or a life in medicine. Keep your faith that your friend still cares for you. I can see why people leave their faith with such garbage for sermons. You 3 are in my prayers.

Answer 4

Could be - could be an inner ear infection - could be a side effect of menopause (if her age is right).

Has this never been diagnozed before? Remedies would depend on the cause. I had a friend who used to put a bread of bread in his mouth, and it helped him retain balance. (I don't know why - I suspect it was as much psychological as anything) Sometimes dramamine (the motion sickness drug) helps.

But you really need to find out why the attacks are coming.

Answer 5

vertigo has many different causes. take her to an urgent care or ER.

Answer 6

http://www.thedoctorwillseeyounow.com/articles/behavior/vertigo_9/

http://www.rolfes.org/kevin_vertigo.html

http://www.drdaveanddee.com/dizziness.html