Vertigo and Dizziness 101: The Causes, and Natural Remedies and Tips


vertigo and dizziness difference natural remedies

The first step to learning how to quickly heal vertigo is to understand that vertigo isn’t a disease or condition, but rather, it’s a symptom of an underlying issue that is causing those unbearable dizzy spells and a false sense that you or your surroundings are spinning. And it really isn’t all that uncommon either. New research has found that vertigo, dizziness and other balance-related conditions are amongst the most common health concerns in adults. In fact, approximately 40% of American adults experience vertigo at least once in their lifetime, with it mainly affecting women. But why, you ask? What is the problem causing these unbearable symptoms?

There are quite a few possible scenarios, which is what we are going to uncover in this article, as well as effective ways you can quickly heal and eradicate all of your symptoms. The good news is that vertigo, albeit terrible to deal with, is rarely a sign of a serious illness, so you don’t have to panic and rush to the E.R. Instead, it’s typically just an awful, off-balance, spinning sensation that can make everything – from daily activities to work tasks challenging to complete. But before you reach for the latest prescription for soothing your symptoms, it’s time to start thinking about healing your symptoms at the source so you can finally be free of these “spins” once and for all. There are many effective and natural treatments to choose from, with no potential side effects or pricey bill to follow. So, if you’re ready to finally free yourself of vertigo, this article has you covered with everything you need to know.

The 101 on Vertigo

Before we dive into the various ways you can eradicate vertigo and all of the unbearable symptoms it comes with, it’s important to understand what vertigo is. After all, it isn’t a disease or a condition. Instead, vertigo is a symptom. In other words, there is something else happening in your body that is causing the symptoms you have summed up as ‘vertigo’.

But perhaps you aren’t sure that what you’re experiencing is vertigo. Well, let’s start there. Vertigo often feels like you or everything around you is spinning. You may feel off-balance or like you just got off a spinning amusement park ride. The only difference is, that this feeling isn’t fun and it doesn’t always necessarily go away within a couple of seconds. It’s also more than just feeling dizzy.

A vertigo attack can last anywhere from a couple of minutes and hours to days and even months at a time. Sometimes, the spinning sensation is hardly noticeable and then other times, you feel like you just got off of the Tilt-A-Whirl just from standing up.

But as mentioned, and worth reiterating since it is key to treating these spinning spells, vertigo is a symptom, not a condition. As such, treating it isn’t as simple as reaching for the nearest prescription from your doctor. Sure, these can definitely soothe your symptoms for the time being but because they only treat the symptom (vertigo), they never actually address the real problem causing them. As a result, that spinning sensation you’re so desperate to get rid of is likely to come back. So, it’s important to dive a little bit deeper to understand what is actually causing your vertigo so you can use remedies that eradicate the problem at the root source.

The Two Types of Vertigo

Vertigo may seem like a complicated issue to deal with – and the added dizziness certainly doesn’t help. However, it’s actually quite straightforward once you look into it. There are two most common types of vertigo, which are:

  • Peripheral vertigo: the most common type that is caused by a problem in the inner ear known as the vestibular nerve, which controls your balance
  • Central vertigo: a type of dizziness that occurs as a result of a disease or injury in the brain.

What Causes Vertigo?

Since vertigo is a symptom rather than a condition itself, the ‘causes of vertigo’ really come down to the type of vertigo you are experiencing. For example, if you have peripheral vertigo, you know that the cause of your symptoms is due to a problem in the inner ear, as opposed to an injury to the brain. But it can still be difficult to determine what type of vertigo you have simply based on that. After all, you can’t always know just by your vertigo whether or not you are experiencing an inner ear issue, disease or injury. So, the easiest way to determine the cause of your vertigo is to look at the different characteristics of the two types. 

For example, peripheral vertigo, which is often caused by an inner ear problem. The most common causes of inner ear issues that lead to this type of vertigo are:

From that list, you may be able to spot some similarities that can help you determine the type, and ultimately, the cause of your vertigo.

However, if you are dealing with central vertigo, the causes are quite different and include things such as:

  • Brain tumor
  • Infection
  • Migraine
  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • Stroke
  • Traumatic brain injury

While peripheral vertigo can be a nuisance, central vertigo can be quite serious due to its causes. So, it’s important to speak with your healthcare provider to receive a proper diagnosis.

What Does Vertigo Feel Like?

We know that vertigo is a symptom in itself, which causes all kinds of dizziness and spinning sensations. And if those weren’t enough to deal with, vertigo can also be associated with many additional symptoms, such as:  

  • Buzzing in the ear
  • Headache
  • Hearing loss
  • Involuntary eye movements
  • Loss of balance
  • Nausea
  • Sweating
  • Vomiting

You may experience all of these symptoms, only a few, or none at all, and there are a variety of factors that can increase the severity of your symptoms, such as extreme stress.

What is the Difference Between Vertigo and Dizziness?

Vertigo and dizziness can feel quite similar, but there are some major differences that separate one from the other. For example, dizziness typically causes you to feel off-balance, whereas vertigo is more of an uncontrollable spinning sensation or the feeling like your surroundings are spinning.

Common Treatment for Vertigo

Treatment for vertigo highly depends on the type you’re experiencing and the specific cause of that. What works for vertigo caused by an inner ear problem may not work for vertigo caused by a brain injury. So, it’s absolutely imperative to receive a proper diagnosis from your doctor. Once you have done so, you can explore the different treatment options. The most common forms of treatment for vertigo are:

  • Epley manoeuvre: a series of head movements that help displace small particles from the inner ear canals
  • Medication: antihistamines (a common type of medication) used to treat vertigo
  • Exercises: simple movements that help restore balance (there are three main methods used: habituation, gaze stabilization and balance training)

Helpful Tips for Healing Vertigo

The treatments mentioned about are commonly used to heal vertigo at the root source to eliminate the symptoms once and for all. There are also just as many simple tips you can use to receive quick and effective relief right now, such as:

  • Sit or lie down as soon as you begin feeling dizzy
  • Lie with your eyes closed in a dark room
  • Avoid driving or operating heavy machinery
  • Limit caffeine, alcohol, tobacco and salt intake
  • Avoid high doses of aspirin, as it may cause vertigo symptoms to worsen
  • Practice yoga to help regain your balance and coordination and to counteract the effects of vertigo
  • Stay hydrated (dehydration can cause a flare up)
  • Take gingko biloba extract
  • Manage your stress with coping strategies and stress release techniques
  • Get enough amount of sleep
  • Use essential oils to help soothe symptoms, such as lavender, ginger, peppermint, spearmint, cardamom, and fennel, all of which are popular options
  • Use an online program that teaches you natural remedies, techniques and tricks that can drastically improve your condition. We recommend The Vertigo and Dizziness Program.

From an outside standpoint, it’s easy to assume vertigo is nothing more than a simple dizzy spell but for anyone experiencing vertigo, you understand just how debilitating and intense the spinning sensations truly are. With the information and tips provided in this article, you should be able to quickly and effectively treat your symptoms at the source so you can get back to living your life again. If you experience worsening symptoms, don’t hesitate to speak with a healthcare professional.

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