When medication causes vertigo and dizziness
Anyone who has ever drunk a glass of wine knows that dizziness can be caused not only by disease, but also by chemical substances, such as medications. But not only alcohol can cause dizziness and balance disorders. Many medications have an effect on the brain or the cardiovascular system and can trigger more or less severe dizziness and vertigo. It is worthwhile, then, to take a look at the drug list for chronic dizziness symptoms. This is particularly the case in elderly patients, who are weakened by pre-existing conditions and often take a whole list of different medications.
But what does “can cause dizziness” actually mean? If you read through the leaflet or searches on Google, you quickly get the impression that actually every drug available can cause dizziness. But it is not that bad after all: Above all, two large groups of medicines should be mentioned here: First the central acting (meaning acting on the brain) sedatives and anti-depressants and secondly many antihypertensive agents.
In the first group, it is primarily strong tranquilizers and sleep aids that affect the brain in a similar way to alcohol and disturb the balance regulation. Here is the danger of falling particularly large, so that patients with pre-existing dizziness should strictly avoid such drugs. But also antidepressants, whose use in recent years due to the increasing number of mental illness is constantly increasing, can cause diffuse dizziness.
In the antihypertensive agents especially beta-blockers and dehydrating agents (diuretics) can cause dizziness. This is caused by a reduced blood flow to the brain and usually manifests itself as feelings of insecurity, “becoming black in front of the eyes” and a slight wobble.
Much less common are dizziness complaints due to a medical damage to the organ of equilibrium in the inner ear. But here too certain antibiotics (gentamycin) or chemotherapeutic agents can damage the sensitive sensory cells and thus lead to balance disorders.
Author: Dr. med. Uso Walter (ENT Specialist)
READ MOREDizziness, vertigo and fear – when the psyche loses its hold
The whole world turns suddenly, the ground sways and you seem to lose your footing. Dizziness and vertigo often feel very threatening to those affected and causes strong feelings of anxiety. And even if the vertigo has subsided again, this fear often remains.
Usually, fear is intended to warn of impending dangers and is triggered by the release of certain messenger substances in the brain. So anxiety is part of a general stress response of the body and is associated with a rise in blood pressure and pulse, dry mouth and with strong internal tension. However, this often causes dizziness and vertigo, as if the ground under one’s feet were pulled away and one loses his grip. There is even a separate diagnosis for this anxiety-related dizziness: phobic dizziness.
Dizziness is so scary and fear leads to dizziness. A classic vicious circle that does not always make it easy to break free. In addition to treating the cause of dizziness, the fight against anxiety also plays an important role.
Fear arises above all when one has no opportunity to influence the events and feels victim of his illness. The first step is therefore the detailed explanation: Only if one knows as much as possible about his illness, one can deal rationally with its complaints and influence it positively. The second step is the earliest possible movement: A posture to avoid the dizziness worsens it increasingly and leads to ever new fears, while active movement trains the balance systems in the body and the complaints improved sustainably. A targeted vertigo or balance training can be very helpful here.
If these simple measures are not enough, behavioral therapy may be required. In the process, one learns to recognize the subconscious attitudes and behaviors that lead to fear and dizziness, and gradually to replace them with useful ones.
Information on other types of dizziness and treatment options can be found here.
Author: Dr. med. Uso Walter (ENT specialist)
READ MOREEQUIFit: Rebalance yourself
Vertigo training with biofeedback is one of the most effective methods for vertigo and dizziness complaints of all kinds to get back into balance. The position of the patient in space is measured by the devices and reflected back to the brain via a sensory channel as information. This information connects the brain with the signals from the body’s own measurement systems, and over time learns to rebalance without this information.
The devices on the market for biofeedback training differ considerably in terms of the measurement of the body position, the sense channel of the information reflected back and the practical handling of the training.
Devices that are similar to the organ of equilibrium and that measure body position in the head area and not, for example, in the upper body area are to be preferred. As a sensory channel for the reflected-back information, vision is less suitable than hearing, because the visual process itself, which is part of normal balance regulation, stabilizes it and thus makes training much less effective. Hearing, on the other hand, provides optimal spatial orientation without taking over the regulation of equilibrium and thus also allows dizziness training with closed eyes.
EQUIFit acoustic biofeedback
Based on these considerations, the vertigo trainer EQUIFit was developed, which uses a comfortable headphone to measure the deviation of the head and body and transmits it acoustically to the brain. Similar to a parking aid, acoustic signals indicate the direction and extent of the sway and allow targeted correction of posture. A structured exercise program leads you individually through the different levels of the training. Exercises while standing, walking and on different surfaces allow a gradual increase in the level of difficulty. The device detects when a level rise is safely possible and conveniently, the instructions are also given the same over the headphones, so that a tedious reading in training instructions deleted.
For the first time, EQUIFit also offers a biofeedback device for dizziness and vertigo training that can be conveniently used at home. The previous procedures were usually available only in specialized clinics and practices, which has a daily, continuous training, as required for a quick success, has made very difficult.
Author: Dr. med. Uso Walter (ENT Specialist)
READ MOREBiofeedback for vertigo and dizziness complaints
Today, we know that vertigo arises as a result of conflicting information to the brain. For example, if one of the equilibrium organs in the inner ear is less well than the other, the center of equilibrium in the brain receives differing information. Since this information contradicts itself, a subjective feeling of dizziness and vertigo often also accompanied by a fall inclination arises. You are in the truest sense of the word out of balance.
The central compensation
If the damage remains in the inner ear for a long time, the brain can get used to the conflicting information. It learns to weigh the information differently and in this way creates a new balance. The vertigo disappears gradually and occurs only in special stress situations with high demands on a healthy balance system. This learning process of the brain is called central compensation. It is based on the so-called neuroplasticity, the ability of our brain to form new neural connections and networks. In young people, this ability is more pronounced than in older people. Therefore, the vertigo symptoms improve faster the younger a patient is. Especially for people from middle age, therefore, an intensive and above all effective training is required. Thus, the vertigo symptoms can be improved as quickly as possible and the risk of falling can be reduced.
Physiotherapy and biofeedback
This learning process can be promoted with a targeted vertigo training, which gives the brain time and again information about the movement in the room. It is important to differentiate between simple exercise exercises and physiotherapy of so-called biofeedback methods, which provide the brain with additional helpful information during training and are thus much more effective. Optical, acoustic or touch stimuli show the person concerned his position in space and replace the missing information, for example, from the equilibrium organ in the inner ear via other sensory channels.
Depending on the nature of the cause of dizziness and age, a dizziness training takes different lengths. A noticeable improvement occurs, however, especially in the biofeedback process but very quickly: in scientific studies could usually be found after ten training sessions, a significant improvement in the dizziness.
Further information on exercise targeting vertigo symptoms can be found here.
Author: Dr. med. Uso Walter (ENT-specialist)
READ MORE