Ever felt the world spin out of control? It happened with 30-year-old, Bangalore-based housewife Nalini Patil while she was driving. Patil swerved to hit the road divider as she fought off waves of nausea and dizziness. “It was the first time I had experienced such an attack,” she says.
She sought medical advice and after a series of tests, vertigo, brought on by anxiety and depression (Patil had suffered a loss in the family) plus a sinus infection, was diagnosed. Six months and a course of medication later, she hasn’t had a recurrence.
Anurag Shankar, a 62-year-old retired teacher in Noida, suffered her first attack of acute dizziness four years ago. “I couldn’t even move my head while lying down in bed,” she says. The episodes abated after three-four days. The cause: Vertigo due to a compression of nerves by an extra rib (which Shankar was born with). The permanent solution would be surgery, but she is wary of going under the knife and prefers to live with the infrequent attacks, keeping her prescribed medication (Vertin) handy for the dizzy spells.
Illustration: Jayachandran / Mint
Vertigo is among the most common complaints doctors encounter. It’s typically a sensation of spinning or losing balance—simply put, dizziness. And no, contrary to popular belief, it is not always associated with a fear of heights. “Around 60-70% people suffer vertigo at least once in their lifetime,” says Rakesh Agarwal, senior consultant, neurology, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi.
Only a symptom
Like fever, vertigo is a symptom, not a disease. Most of the underlying problems leading to it, such as high blood pressure, can be treated. But Dr Agarwal adds a note of caution, “While all cases are not serious, some are, so it’s important to get checked out.” He advises a four-step preliminary examination: MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) of the brain, X-ray of the neck, ENT (ear, nose and throat) check-up and a routine blood test.
“Typically, it (vertigo) is caused by problems in the neck, eye, ear or the central system or the brain,” says Ish Anand, vice-chairman and senior consultant, neurology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi. These can range from astigmatism (cylindrical vision), high or low blood pressure and poor posture to an injury to the inner ear or brain, which disrupts the body’s balance mechanisms. More serious possibilities include a cerebral stroke or a viral infection that affects the ear.
However, once infection, injury or other underlying causes are ruled out, doctors typically zero in on a diagnosis of either Ménière’s disease or Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). These two otherwise benign conditions are the leading causes of vertigo, with a fifth of all cases attributed to BPPV.