Vertigo & Dizziness: Important Insight

Dizziness, imbalance and vertigo are symptoms that can challenge everyday activities. It may become difficult to concentrate, hard to balance and can bring about other symptoms including nausea, vomiting, and sweating. There are many different causes of dizziness including changes in blood pressure and blood sugar, dehydration, migraines, heat exhaustion, medication interactions, cardiac issues, neuronal (brain and nervous system) changes or inner ear problems.

First and foremost; you will want to seek out a medical provider to determine the source of your dizziness or rule out more serious causes of dizziness.

• If you are experiencing double vision, difficulty speaking, facial droop, change in alertness, an inability to walk, or arm and leg weakness, go to the emergency department immediately. This may be a cardiac issue or a stroke.

• If you notice that your dizziness only occurs with change in position and lasts 30 seconds or less, you may have benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). This is something that can be treated with physical therapy.

• If you have a headache that accompanies your dizziness, get clearance from a medical provider. You will want to monitor your blood pressure and/or blood sugar to rule out these causes. Many times, cervicogenic dizziness can cause headaches, dizziness, and/or neck pain and can be treated by a physical therapist.

• If you have dizziness episodes that occur weeks at a time with a possible known trigger and goes away over time, you may have Meniere’s disease. Although there is no known cure, there are many different treatment options to manage your symptoms including physical therapy.

• If you lose your balance frequently for an unknown reason, you may have postural instability. You will want to follow up with a medical provider if you are falling, and to find out the cause of your imbalance. Most times, physical therapy can help with postural instability.

If you or someone you care about is experiencing episodes of vertigo and dizziness, seek out a physician to rule out a more serious pathology and remember that physical therapy can be highly effective in helping you manage these symptoms. We have provided therapy to numerous patients throughout the years facing these challenges and have seen excellent outcomes.

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