DEAR MAYO CLINIC:

ANSWER: Vertigo is a sensation that either you or your surroundings, or both, are spinning or moving when they are not. Some people confuse vertigo with dizziness, but there is a difference. Dizziness typically is a feeling of being lightheaded, or it may be a loss of balance that makes you unsteady on your feet. Dizziness usually does not involve the feeling that either you or something in your environment is moving.

A number of disorders can trigger vertigo. The most common is a condition called benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or BPPV. If you have BPPV once, you are at an increased risk of getting it again. In many cases, BPPV can be successfully treated.

For many adults, BPPV is the underlying source of vertigo. With BPPV, vertigo happens when you move a certain way. Sitting up, tilting your head or lying down may all trigger vertigo if you have BPPV.

BPPV is a result of tiny crystals in your inner ear being out of place. The crystals make you sensitive to gravity and help you to keep your balance. Normally, a jelly-like membrane in your ear keeps the crystals where they belong. If the ear is damaged — often by a blow to the head — the crystals can shift to another part of the ear. When they are out of place, the crystals make you sensitive to movement and position changes that normally don’t affect you, sparking vertigo. Occasionally, especially in older adults, the specific cause of BPPV cannot be determined.

To diagnose BPPV, doctors use a technique called the Dix-Hallpike test. During this test, you are placed in the position that usually causes your vertigo to begin. When the symptoms start, your doctor checks to see if they are accompanied by a certain type of involuntary eye movement response. If so, that usually confirms BPPV. If the test does not yield clear results but you have a history of vertigo and your symptoms are intermittent, other tests may be used to detect involuntary eye movements or to test your ability to maintain your balance. Physical therapy and other diagnostic tests also may be necessary.

Treatment of BPPV involves your doctor guiding you slowly through a series of specific head movements that reposition the crystals in your inner ear where they no longer cause vertigo. For the majority of people with BPPV, vertigo goes away after just one repositioning treatment. For about 50 percent of people successfully treated for BPPV, however, the vertigo does come back within a year.

Your doctor will likely teach you how to perform the repositioning procedure by yourself so you can do it at home. If the problem is not resolved after trying the repositioning treatment for a couple of days, follow-up treatments with your doctor may be necessary.

Beyond BPPV, examples of other medical conditions that can cause vertigo include vestibular neuritis and labyrinthitis. Both involve inner ear damage that is usually the result of an infection. Meniere’s disease, a rare inner ear disorder, also can lead to vertigo. The underlying cause of Meniere’s disease is not clearly understood. These disorders can be harder to treat than BPPV. In many cases, though, the vertigo they cause can be effectively managed so it doesn’t interfere with a person’s daily activities.

Experiencing vertigo can be very unnerving, especially if you’ve never had it before. Although it is not a medical emergency, if you have an episode of vertigo, see your doctor as soon as possible to have your condition evaluated. It is important to find the underlying cause of vertigo so it can be effectively treated. — Neil Shepard, Ph.D., Audiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

The post Mayo Clinic Q and A: Number of disorders can trigger vertigo appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Are you feeling dizzy, disoriented, lightheaded and/or anxious?

On the next Mayo Clinic Radio Show, Saturday, August 2 at 9 a.m. CT, we'll discuss one of the most common reasons people visit a physician — dizziness. Chair of the Division of Audiology at Mayo Clinic and the Dizziness and Balance Disorders Program, Neil Shepard, Ph.D., will join us. Dr. Shepard will describe the different types of dizziness, plus the symptoms, causes, diagnoses and treatment. Tune in this Saturday!

Myth or Matter of Fact: Dizziness is just something that happens as we age.

Follow #MayoClinicRadio and tweet your questions.

To listen to the program on Saturday, click here. 

Mayo Clinic Radio is available on iHeart Radio.

Listen to this week’s Medical News Headlines: News Segment August 2, 2014 (right click MP3) 

Mayo Clinic Radio is a weekly one-hour radio program highlighting health and medical information from Mayo Clinic. The show is taped for rebroadcast by some affiliates.

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The post MAYO CLINIC RADIO appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Are you feeling dizzy, disoriented, lightheaded and/or anxious?

On the next Mayo Clinic Radio, Saturday, August 2 at 9 A.M. CT, we'll discuss one of the most common reasons people visit a physician — dizziness.  Chair of the Division of Audiology at Mayo Clinic and the Dizziness and Balance Disorders Program, Neil Shepard, Ph.D., will join us.  Dr. Shepard will describe the different types of dizziness, plus the symptoms, causes, diagnoses and treatment.  Tune in this Saturday!

Myth or Matter of Fact:  Dizziness is just something that happens as we age.

Follow #MayoClinicRadio and tweet your questions.

Mayo Clinic Radio is available on iHeart Radio.

To listen to Mayo Clinic Radio live, go to our flagship station, KROC AM.

Mayo Clinic Radio is a weekly one-hour radio program highlighting health and medical information from Mayo Clinic. The show is taped for rebroadcast by some affiliates.

The post Mayo Clinic Radio: Dizziness appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.