Chiropractor Paducah Ky | Problems With Balance And Vertigo

Balance and vertigo are more or less opposites; vertigo could be defined as the absence or impairment of balance and equilibrium, characterized by feelings of dizziness, faintness, or lightheadedness. If you have vertigo, you might have the impression that you're sinking or falling, that the room is spinning or that you're spinning, too. You might also experience nausea and hearing loss. Vertigo is not an illness in itself; it's always a symptom of another condition.

What Causes Vertigo? -

Vertigo is caused when the central nervous system is receiving conflicting messages from the inner ear, eyes, muscles, and skin pressure receptors.

Conditions that may bring about these conflicting messages include allergies; alterations in atmospheric pressure; anemia; brain tumors; diabetes; ear canal or Eustachian tube blockage; excess ear wax; fever; head injuries; high or low blood pressure; inadequate or interrupted oxygen supply; the narrowing of blood vessels going to the brain (arteriosclerosis); neurological disease; nutritional deficiencies; pinched blood vessels in the neck (cervical osteoarthritis); poor cerebral circulation due to arteriosclerosis, cervical osteoarthritis, anemia or diabetes; psychological distress; the use of certain drugs; or viral infection.

Types of Vertigo -

At least 100 different syndromes include vertigo as a symptom. To further complicate pinpointing a cause, there are also different types of vertigo. Chronic vertigo usually occurs as a result of hypertension or atherosclerosis; this type either doesn't ever completely go away or recurs frequently.

Senile vertigo can be a result of atherosclerosis, chronic eye disease, or benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. You should also look into drug side effects or interactions if you're on prescription medications.

Juvenile vertigo typically comes about due to anxiety or hyperventilation. Positional vertigo occurs when in a particular position, believed to be the result of damage to the balance mechanisms in the inner ear-these can be damaged by injury, infection, or simply old age. Sudden onset vertigo happens abruptly and may last for minutes or hours, brought on by motion sickness, Meniere's disease, low blood sugar, or insufficient oxygen supply to the brain.

Treating Vertigo -

Obviously, the first step in alleviating vertigo is identifying its cause. Documentation of whatever other symptoms you may be experiencing can help with this; give your doctor as much information as possible.

However, no matter what the cause, chiropractic care can probably help, since the goal of a chiropractor is to restore balance to the body. If your vertigo is being caused by pinched or pressured nerves, chiropractic adjustments can help take that pressure off and free the pathways for the transmitting of signals from brain to body and back again, which will aid in the alleviation of any number of symptoms and conditions, including allergies, ear wax build-up, and even infections, since it supports and restores immune function.

Depending on the cause and type of vertigo you're experiencing, special exercises as prescribed by your doctor or physical therapist may also need to be incorporated into your routine.

Additionally, herbal supplements can help. Black cohosh lowers blood pressure, butcher's broom and cayenne improve circulation, dandelion tea or extract is good for high blood pressure, ginger relieves dizziness and nausea, and ginkgo biloba improves circulation and brain function.