Vertigo is a very rampant disease condition, but unfortunately not much is known about the condition. When people talk about vertigo, most people think about dizziness. However, there is a thin symptomatic line of difference between normal dizziness and vertigo. Vertigo is a much serious and persistent condition. In Sanskrit, its symptoms can be equated with bhrama. In the US, vertigo is commonly known as head rush.

Alfred Hitchcock made the word vertigo famous with his movie of the same title. But in fact, vertigo does not actually mean ‘fear of heights’. This is a very general misconception. Fear of heights is medically termed as acrophobia. Hence, this discussion is about the real meaning of vertigo, i.e. bhrama, and not acrophobia.

Vertigo or bhrama is a balance disorder, which is also commonly known as head rush or spinning sensation. A person suffering from vertigo will experience a sense of spinning of the entire surroundings and find that they are unable to stand in an upright position.

The onset of vertigo is created in different ways. In some people, vertigo comes on very suddenly. In such cases, the bout of vertigo is accompanied by feelings of nausea or vomiting. However, most people have vertigo without even knowing it. For such cases, vertigo attacks come on very gradually, so that there is a just a mild feeling of loss of balance. Such people may just describe their vertigo attack as poor balance.

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Causes of Vertigo

Ayurveda has a very elaborate explanation for bhrama. It is explained as a disorder of the vata and the pitta doshas. When the vata and pitta doshas are excited – either one or both – then it causes an abnormal functioning of the balance mechanism within the inner part of the ear.

The main cause of vertigo is a vestibular imbalance, which means an imbalance in the inner part of the ear. This interferes with the coordination of the stimuli and response, i.e. the person is not able to provide proper reflex actions. On a general perspective, any defect in the flow of oxygen to the ear can cause vertigo attacks.

Such an imbalance can be brought on by any of the following factors:-

Viral illnesses such as common cold can cause vertigo.

Ear problems such as discharge, perforation of the eardrum or infection in the ear cavity can cause vertigo.

Cardiovascular disorders such as heart rhythms, valve diseases or low blood pressure can cause vertigo.

Anemia and migraine can trigger vertigo.

Serious neck ailments such as cervical spondylosis cause vertigo. Cervical spondylosis is the deficiency of the arteries in the neck to supply blood to the cerebellum.

Arthritic pains can precipitate vertigo.

Accidents on the head which create concussions can cause vertigo.

Brain tumors are also responsible for vertigo.

Ménière’s disease is a special condition that causes vertigo. People having Ménière’s disease have recurrent problems with the inner ear which is characterized by pressure differences within the ear and tinnitus (ringing of the ears). People with Ménière’s disease develop conditions of vertigo in some time.

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There are two main types of vertigo depending on where the pitta or vata imbalance occurs. These types of vertigo are described below:-

(i) Peripheral Vertigo

Peripheral vertigo is the more severe of the two types of vertigo. It is the basic vestibular imbalance of the inner ear. Common symptoms of this type of vertigo are:-

• There are intermittent bouts of dizziness and giddiness.
• Decrease in the cognitive ability, i.e. the rational capacity of the brain is observed.
• There is nausea and vomiting.
• There is muscle ache in the neck and back region.
• Tinnitus is common, i.e. ringing sensations in the internal ear.
• There may be hearing loss during the bout of dizziness.
• Nystagmus, or rapid eye movement is caused.

(ii) Central Vertigo

Central vertigo is caused due to lesions in the brainstem. This is milder than peripheral vertigo and is less recurrent in timing. The following symptoms are seen in this type of vertigo:-

• Multidirectional pain is felt.
• There are deficiencies in reflex actions.
• Speech is incoherent and slurred, i.e. dysarthria is developed.
• There is ataxia, i.e. problems in movement and coordination of the limbs.
• The brain is not able to concentrate on things, i.e. the concentration ability is impaired.

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In both the above types of vertigo, there are the following symptoms noticed:-

• There is acute dizziness, which is also called as lightheadedness.
• It seems as though the world is moving around the person; this is called as the spinning notion.
• Nausea and vomiting is felt in almost all attacks of vertigo. These feelings are acuter if the attack has come on suddenly.
• There is a palpitation of the heart.
• The person is prone to excessive sweating and panting during the attack of vertigo.
• There is a blurring of the vision and the person cannot focus on a single object.
• People suffering from vertigo are incapable of concentrating whole-heartedly in any one thing.
• Depression and feeling of malaise are common.

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There are many complications that can arise due to prolonged bouts of vertigo. The following are some of the complications:-

Long standing vertigo is called as chronic vertigo. In chronic vertigo, the brain gradually gets permanently impaired. As a result the memory of the person becomes weak, the concentration becomes faulty and the rational capacity of the person is greatly reduced.

Constant feelings of nausea and vomiting can cause anorexia nervosa, a condition in which the person begins to dislike food. As a result, the person can lose weight drastically and succumb to other diseases. Infections may turn out to be common.

Chronic vertigo can also bring on severe eye problems. There may be persistent conditions of diplopia, i.e. double vision.

The most common complication of vertigo is injury due to falls. During the bouts of vertigo, people lose their balance and fall. If this fall is steep, then the person may get critically injured and also lose his or her life.

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Vertigo is a non communicable disease since it is a neurological disorder. There is no way that the condition of vertigo can be spread from one person to another by means of any physical or spatial communication. However, there is a strong indication that vertigo may be hereditary. Hereditary vertigo is observed to a greater extent in men than in women.

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Simple cases of vertigo can be prevented just by adjusting the posture or taking care of changes in the body. The following are some tips:-

If you have a history of vertigo, do not stand all of a sudden. Come to the edge of your seat, recline a while, and then stand. This helps the blood to gradually fill into your legs which have to now support you better in standing position.

Even while getting up from a lying position, do not stand up directly. First sit on the bed for a while, and then gradually get up.

Have a hot water bath in the morning. This helps better circulation of blood in the body. Have a steam and sauna session done occasionally.

Do not wear tight clothing that can cramp up the blood vessels.

Smoking and alcoholism must be strictly avoided as they tamper with the blood circulation seriously. Drunkenness may lead to the death of a vertigo patient, as the person would have totally zero control over his or her own body in an inebriated state.

People with vertigo must avoid going in places which have short supply of air.

Also heights must be avoided as a giddy spell at a height could make the person plummet to death.

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Vertigo is caused when there is a poor oxygen supply to the brain, leading to giddiness. Hence, the diet that is to be taken by vertigo patients must be a vata pacifying diet. The following dietary guidelines can be followed:-

Do not consume a dry diet. Let the diet be rich in water content, i.e. use gravies and curries. Begin your diet with a soup.

Eat all your meals when they are a little warm.

Avoid all kinds of snacks and fast foods. These just whet the appetite temporarily but do not provide any nourishment. Hence, burgers, French Fries, pizzas, colas, popcorn, etc. are out.

Have fluids regularly. Fruit juices must be preferably had.

Eat all your meals at fixed times every day so as not to confuse the body clock. Do not skip meals.

Do not consume vegetables in raw condition. Salads are an exception.

Fats must be present in the diet. Use a little ghee or other saturated fats while cooking. But do not deep fry any food.

Nuts and warm milk make for an excellent food before going to bed if you are suffering from vata. Almonds and cashew nuts are preferable. However, remember not to go overboard with the nuts, or they could increase pitta and raise the agni. This could result in constipation.

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