Sudden moments of dizziness, even nausea can be symptoms of vertigo. According to Nathalie Grondin, a physical therapist with Lee Memorial Health System, vertigo is a common diagnosis that patients often misconstrue as just general dizziness. “The real definition of vertigo is an illusion of movement, an illusion of motion.”
Grondin says that illusion is typically caused by an inner ear infection or head or neck injury. Vertigo can cause a range of symptoms from nausea, ringing in the ears, or headache, lasting anywhere from a few seconds to a few months.
“There are little carbonate crystals that belong in the inner ear, in a certain location in the inner ear, that actually is necessary to help us determine where we are in relation to gravity. Sometimes they get dislodged and start traveling and when a person changes their head position it gives this illusion of additional motion” said Grondin.
She says there are a few ways to treat the problem. One is with guided head movements to make sure the crystals get out of harm’s way, and back to where they belong. However, she says if a person experiences periodic vertigo they need to be evaluated by their doctor.
“Determine specific parameters. When it happens, how long it lasts. What they feel exactly, if they have any accompanying symptoms that are very out of the ordinary, such as severe vomiting, and inability to walk” said Grondin. Being able to explain the symptoms will help health experts determine what’s causing the problem.
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Lee Memorial Health System in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of medical care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For nearly a century, we’ve been providing our community with everything from primary care treatment to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries.
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