MY BLOG
Posts for: January, 2015
Find out the most common causes of dizziness in Passaic County.
You don’t often think about the inner ear; however, it is constantly working for you on a daily basis. The main purpose of the inner ear is to help with hearing and also with balance. This part of the ear also tells your brain where you are in space. However, there are times when signals between your inner ear and your brain get a bit mixed up, which can cause you to become dizzy. If you are have been dizzy lately and are wondering what might be causing it, your Passaic County ENT is here to help.
Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)
This is actually one of the most common causes of vertigo, which makes you feel as if you are spinning. If you have this condition your symptoms may fluctuate between mild and more intense episodes of dizziness. Changing your head’s position (e.g. sitting up in bed) can often bring about symptoms of BPPV. Besides dizziness you may also experience poor balance, blurred vision, nausea and vomiting.
Vestibular Neuritis
Also known as inner ear inflammation, when the labyrinth (a structure within the inner ear) becomes swollen it can cause someone to lose balance. These infections are often viral; however, in some rare cases it can also be bacterial. If you experience sudden and extreme vertigo that lasts for days, as well as vomiting and nausea, these could be signs of an inner ear infection. This condition often clears up by itself; however, talk to your Passaic County ENT about certain treatments that could promote faster healing.
Acoustic Neuroma
This benign, slow-growing tumor is often found on the vestibular nerve, which connects the inner ear with the brain. This is a less common cause of dizziness; however, your Passaic County ENT should be monitoring your condition regularly to make sure it’s not growing too fast. Surgery can be performed to remove this growth.
Meniere’s Disease
This occurs when fluid begins to build up in the inner ear, causing sudden bouts of vertigo that last for hours. Aside from dizziness you may also experience periods of hearing loss, as well as ringing or fullness in the ears. While there is no cure for this condition, there are several types of medications and other treatments that your ENT in Passaic County can prescribe to help alleviate your symptoms.
Migraine
Migraines can produce different symptoms for different people. Some may experience visual “auras” while others may experience dizziness. These symptoms can last anywhere from hours to days and may also be accompanied by sensitivity to light or sound.
If you are concerned that your dizziness could be caused by one of these conditions, then call your ENT in Passaic County for treatment. It’s generally a good rule of thumb to see us if you experience recurrent vertigo or dizziness that lasts more than a week. Schedule an appointment with us today!