Etymology of the disease
The vestibular apparatus is usually called the peripheral part of the vestibular system, located in the area of the inner ear and responsible for balance and orientation in space. Due to disruption of this department, there is a loss of orientation, distortion of auditory and visual functions, and loss of tactile sensitivity.
The correct functioning of this organ is very important for a person, because it ensures normal functioning.
Heart disease manifested by dizziness
One of the most serious diseases is a heart attack, which refers to the damage or death of part of the heart muscle due to blockage by a blood clot.
Heart rhythm disturbances
Heart rhythm disturbances (arrhythmia) are among the most common heart diseases. It results from the abnormal creation or conduction of electrical stimuli in the heart.
Symptoms may include:
- heartbeat;
- shortness of breath;
- feeling of pressure in the chest;
- burning chest pain (angina);
- dizziness;
- short-term loss of consciousness.
Cardiomyopathy
This is a condition in which the heart's ability to pump blood is reduced.
The signs are as follows:
- dyspnea;
- fatigue;
- chest pain;
- rapid heartbeat (arrhythmias caused by rapid heartbeat);
- vertigo;
- fainting.
Heart defects
A person who often feels dizzy and loses balance may have a heart defect.
Congenital defects:
- atrial septal defect;
- ventricular septal defect;
- coarctation of the aorta;
- Fallot's tetralogy;
- aortic stenosis;
- aortic insufficiency;
- binocular aortic valve;
- Epstein's anomaly;
- corrected transposition of large vessels;
- Lutembacher syndrome.
Acquired defects:
- mitral stenosis;
- mitral regurgitation;
- mitral valve prolapse;
- aortic stenosis;
- aortic regurgitation;
- tricuspid stenosis;
- tricuspid regurgitation.
Symptoms of the disease
Violation of the proper functionality of the organ is associated with symptoms such as: Direct:
- Dizziness.
- Nystagmus (oscillatory eye movements).
Related:
- Nausea accompanied by a gag reflex.
- Pallor or redness of the skin of some areas of the face.
- Loss of support.
- Increased sweating.
- Impaired movement coordination.
- Reduced blood pressure.
- Changes in breathing and heart rates.
The signs of this disorder are variable; they usually arise spontaneously, in most cases they have a paroxysmal appearance. An attack can be triggered at any time by: a strong smell, a loud sound, a change in weather conditions, and so on.
Prevention
Preventing vertigo and balance problems involves preventing the underlying disease that causes these symptoms:
- Many sports focus on exercises that improve balance (gymnastics, jumping, bosu).
- Stand on one leg when brushing your teeth.
- Try to walk in a straight line while walking.
- Don't stand up too quickly.
- Drink enough fluids, especially during the summer months, to help stabilize your blood pressure. Reduce the amount of alcohol you consume.
- Sleep at least 7 hours.
- Relieve stress with relaxation exercises.
- Monitor your blood pressure regularly.
- Read the instructions for use of the medications you use. Some of them list dizziness as a side effect.
Patients with vertigo are burdened by the consequences of this condition, which greatly affects their daily activities. They often fear the presence of a serious life-threatening illness. But if imbalance occurs, you should consult a doctor. Dizziness should not be underestimated; it can indeed be a sign of a serious illness, which, if detected early, can have a good prognosis.
Causes of the disease
Modern specialists in the field of medicine have identified a huge number of different causes that affect the disruption of the main functional set of the vestibular apparatus. They are associated with diseases of the inner ear, injuries, inflammation and neoplasms.
The following reasons influence the dysfunction of the vestibular apparatus:
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo . This disease is considered the most famous type of dizziness. It usually affects people over 60 years of age. This reason usually affects females to a greater extent. Symptoms of positional vertigo include:
- Nausea.
- Vomiting reflex.
- The illusion of rotation that appears at the slightest tilt of a person’s head.
- The appearance of sharp pain in the stomach (extremely rare).
Today it is impossible to reliably identify the causes of dizziness; it is often attributed to post-operative or post-traumatic conditions.
Vestibular neuritis . A similar disease manifests itself against the background of an infectious disease suffered by a person, such as influenza, lichen, herpes, and so on. Changes in the functioning of the vestibular nerve are also considered to be the cause of disruption of the full functioning of the vestibular apparatus.
Symptoms:
- Nausea (usually accompanied by a gag reflex).
- True dizziness (the illusion of circular vertigo appears).
- Horizontal rotatory nystagmus occurs spontaneously.
These symptoms do not last long - 4 days, but full recovery can occur in a couple of weeks, in older people - a couple of months.
Blockage of the labyrinthine artery . This disease is considered a dangerous disorder of the vestibular apparatus, since in its presence there is a disruption in the blood supply to the brain, which in turn is fraught with consequences such as cerebellar stroke, heart attack, cerebral hemorrhage, and so on. The main symptom is severe dizziness, in which case emergency medical care will be necessary.
Basilar migraine . This disease is accompanied not only by a debilitating headache, but also by prolonged dizziness, accompanied by attacks. Mostly teenage girls suffer from this form of migraine. It is expressed in motion sickness in transport.
The cause of a vestibular disorder in a person is influenced by a huge number of different concomitant diseases.
Treatment at home with folk remedies
Treatment at home is possible if the vestibular disorder is temporary, and only after consultation with a doctor. There are several proven recipes that are easy to prepare yourself:
- Propolis tincture. 1 tbsp. l. Pour propolis, slightly diluted with water, into a dark glass bottle, add 500 ml of vodka (40%) and leave to infuse in the refrigerator for 4 days. Then add honey to taste and take 1 tsp at least 40 minutes after eating. 3 times a day.
- Tincture with clover. It is very simple to prepare such an infusion; for this you will need a bottle of vodka, to which you need to add 3 tbsp. l. dried clover flowers and leave for a week in a dark place at a temperature of 25°. It is important to shake the future tincture periodically. You can take it in the same way as above.
- Complex decoction. To prepare, you need to mix chamomile flowers, mint, fennel, ground pumpkin seeds and dried orange peels in equal quantities, 1 tbsp. l. Pour a glass of boiling water over this mixture, leave, then strain through cheesecloth and take before bed.
- Cold infusion of parsley. This remedy is especially useful for women, because it helps get rid of dizziness during menopause. You need to take 2 tbsp. l. parsley seeds and leave in 250 ml of cold water for about 7 hours. The finished product is not taken constantly, but during the onset of a symptom, several sips.
- Another good and tasty remedy is tea based on mint and ginger: you need to brew ginger root and parsley leaves in equal quantities. It is recommended to drink tea on an empty stomach and 1 hour before bedtime.
- In many pharmacies you can find special herbal infusions that help fight this disease. The packaging of these products contains detailed instructions for the preparation and use of decoctions and teas based on them.
When the vestibular apparatus is disturbed, gymnastics aimed at strengthening the apparatus as a whole, normalizing balance and the function of visual receptors have proven effective.
Diagnosis of the disease
Due to the fact that experts associate disruption of the vestibular apparatus with a pathological condition, its diagnosis is made using a detailed comprehensive examination, which includes:
- Audiometry (determine hearing sensitivity).
- Ultrasound examination (allows you to assess the condition of the vertebral arteries).
- Computed tomography of the brain (examination for pathological changes).
These diagnostic methods allow us to identify the nature of the disorder and the cause of its occurrence.
Tablets for disorders of the cardiovascular system
For patients with disorders of the cardiovascular system, it will be necessary to take tablets whose action is aimed at normalizing blood circulation in the brain, for example, Cinnarizine or Cavinton.
When the root cause of this discomfort is a violation of the rheological properties of the blood, namely, an increase in its viscosity, in this case medications are prescribed whose active ingredient is acetylsalicylic acid or other drugs from the group of antiplatelet agents.
Means for stimulating blood circulation in the brain
If a patient has problems with the level of oxygen saturation in the brain, then the most effective way to eliminate the disease is to take calcium antagonists, alpha-blockers, and antispasmodics. All of these anti-dizziness pills are among the safest.
Their action is aimed at improving blood flow in small vessels of the brain and stimulating metabolic processes in tissues. Antispasmodics in this case serve to safely dilate blood vessels. They are suitable for use against dizziness and for elderly people.
If the main cause of discomfort is vascular spasms and, as a consequence, lack of oxygen in the nerve tissues, then special preparations are used with such active ingredients as:
- Cinnarizine;
- Nifedipine;
- Stugeron;
- Riodipine.
- Antihistamines for dizziness
Antihistamines help with this problem; they cope well with this disease and also relieve vomiting, but they have their contraindications for use. For example, pregnancy, or individual intolerance to certain components of medications.
In addition, antihistamines have a number of side effects, such as drowsiness, dry mouth and, in rare cases, blurred vision.
