Vertigo, or spinning, can be horrible! When it happens out of the blue, it’s not like the child’s play when we spin around, getting ourselves dizzy until we fall down. It can come on suddenly, leaving you feeling disoriented, unsteady and even nauseated. The world spins under your feet like a small boat caught in rough seas. It can be frightening and disruptive to your life.
There are many possible causes of vertigo – brain disturbances, neck issues, crystals in the inner ear, disease or stress.
Differentiating some terms can be helpful: Dizziness, lightheadedness, and vertigo are distinct sensations. Dizziness encompasses feelings of unsteadiness, wooziness, and disorientation. It can include both lightheadedness and vertigo. Lightheadedness is a feeling of faintness or being close to passing out. It’s often described as feeling “woozy” or like you might faint. It typically improves when lying down, and is more commonly associated with cardiovascular, hydration, blood sugar imbalances, low blood pressure, anxiety or stress.
Vertigo is a specific type of dizziness characterized by a sensation of spinning or movement, either of yourself or your surroundings. It is often caused by inner ear problems, such as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), Ménière’s disease or vestibular neuritis. Those 3 are collectively referred to as Peripheral Vertigo and are inner ear related. Vertigo may worsen with position changes and is often accompanied by nausea and balance problems.
In other words, using the stormy seas metaphor, lightheadedness is like drifting gently off course, vertigo is like the boat spinning in rough waters, and the other types of vertigo are like storms coming from different directions — some sudden whirlpools, some ongoing gusts — but the result feels similarly unsettling.
Finding the cause and solutions are imperative. Acupuncture is one solution. By improving circulation to the inner ear and brain, calming overactive nerves, reducing inflammation, helping with fluid balance in the ear, and balancing hormones, acupuncture helps the body regain its natural balance. Stress, which often triggers or worsens episodes, is also soothed, helping the seas settle between attacks.
Nutrition also is helpful. Foods that provoke inflammation or fluid imbalance — like sugar, caffeine, alcohol, processed foods and drinks, refined salt, and unhealthy fats — can worsen symptoms. Whole proteins, healthy fats, fruits and vegetables, minerals and whole food supplements, provide the nutrients the body needs to stay balanced and resilient.
Vertigo resulting from tiny crystals moving inside the ear, can be benefited by simple repositioning exercises such as the Epley maneuver to guide these tiny inner ear crystals back into place. Initially taught correctly by a professional, it is a technique that can be done safely at home.
Living with vertigo may feel like navigating a stormy sea, but there is hope. Acupuncture, nourishing foods, and targeted maneuvers provide the tools to steady the boat and regain control. While the underlying causes vary, the strategies to restore balance and confidence can help most people feel safer on their feet — and calm the spinning world around them.
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