The Main Causes of Vertigo in Women

What are the Common Causes of Vertigo?

      A woman with vertigo will feel dizzy. Vertigo is a symptom of various health problems. Vertigo can occur when there are problems with the inner ear, brain, or sensory nerve pathways.

Vertigo is a term used to describe a variety of sensations, such as feeling faint, dizzy, weak or shaky. Dizziness that creates a false feeling that you or your surroundings are spinning, that's vertigo.

Vertigo is one of the most common reasons women see a doctor. Frequent bouts of dizziness or constant lightheadedness can significantly affect your life. But dizziness on its own rarely signals a life-threatening condition.

What is Vertigo?

Vertigo is a symptom, not the condition itself. It is the sensation that you, or the environment around you, is moving or rotating. This feeling may be almost imperceptible, or it may be so severe that you find it difficult to maintain balance and carry out daily activities.

The vertigo attacks can come on suddenly and last for a few seconds, or they can last longer. If you have severe attacks of vertigo, your symptoms may be constant and last for several days, making your normal life extremely difficult.

Vertigo can occur when a person looks down from a height, but usually refers to temporary or ongoing dizziness that results from problems in the inner ear or brain.

It's not an illness, it's a symptom. There are many health conditions that can cause vertigo.

At What Age is Vertigo Most Common?

It's rare, but not impossible, for a young child to experience vertigo. Vertigo attacks generally occur in the early 20s, and generally affect any stage of age thereafter.

The consequences become greater with age, as loss of balance in older people can usually lead to major fractures.

Types of Vertigo

The two main types of vertigo are:

1. Central vertigo

Central vertigo occurs when there is a disturbance in the brain, particularly in an area of the brain called the cerebellum. top right arrow

2. Peripheral Vertigo

Peripheral vertigo is caused by problems in the inner ear area or the vestibular nerve, which connects the inner ear and brain. It is the most common type of vertigo.

RSV-HSN: A New Type of Vertigo?

A recent study found a new type of vertigo. In a study published in the journal Neurology in June 2018, scientists called this “recurrent spontaneous vertigo with cranial nystagmus” (RSV-HSN).

Participants sat in a dark room while the examiner moved their head back and forth for approximately 15 seconds. Next, researchers made video recordings of participants' eye movements. The results showed those with RSV-HSN had longer-lasting eye movements, known as "nystagmus," than others with vertigo.

Scientists say that, RSV-HSN involves attacks of motion sickness that are more severe than other types of vertigo. In this study, patients with RSV-HSN experienced attacks that included nausea, headache, vomiting, and intolerance to head movements.

They have symptoms anywhere from a couple of times a week to once a year. At this point, the cause of RSV-HSN is unknown, but the condition seems to be responding to treatment well.

Causes of Vertigo

Common causes of vertigo include an inner ear infection, or ear diseases such as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), vestibular neuritis, and Meniere's disease.

BPPV can occur when calcium builds up in the inner ear canal, causing brief dizziness lasting from 20 seconds to one minute. Usually caused by trauma to the head or by moving the head in certain positions. (www.nhsinform.scot)

Vestibular neuritis is caused by an infection of the inner ear, which causes inflammation around the nerves that help balance the body's senses. This causes attacks of severe vertigo that can last for a day or more, and sometimes hearing loss is present. A person can get dizzy for a day or two, and then lose their balance, The Cleveland Clinic says 95% of patients make a full recovery and never have it again.

Common causes of vertigo include benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), Meniere's disease, and migraine, and infection.

Benign paroxysmal position vertigo (BPPV). This is the most common cause of vertigo and results in an intense feeling that you are spinning or moving. These episodes are triggered by rapid changes in head movements, such as a blow to the head.

Infection. Viral infection of the vestibular nerve, called vestibular neuritis, can cause constant and intense vertigo.

Migraine. Migraine vertigo can last anywhere from a few minutes to several hours.

Meniere's disease. When excess fluid builds up in the inner ear, the result can be sudden episodes of vertigo lasting for several hours.

Another Causes of Vertigo

Vestibular neuritis

Infection causes inflammation of the vestibular nerve, also known as vestibular neuritis. This is similar to labyrinthitis, but it doesn't affect a person's hearing. Vestibular neuritis causes vertigo that can accompany blurred vision, severe nausea, or a feeling of unbalance.

Labyrinth

This disorder can occur when an infection causes inflammation of the labyrinth of the inner ear. Inside this area is the vestibulocochlear nerve.

These nerves transmit information to the brain about head movement, position, and sound.

In addition to dizziness with vertigo, a person with labyrinthitis may experience hearing loss, tinnitus, headaches, ear pain, and vision changes.

Meniere's disease

This disease causes a buildup of fluid in the inner ear, which can cause vertigo attacks with ringing in the ears and hearing loss. It tends to be more common in people between 40 and 60 years of age.

The National Institute for Deafness and Other Communication Disorders estimates that 615,000 people in the United States currently have a diagnosis of Meniere's disease, with doctors diagnosing approximately 45,500 new cases each year.

Cholesteatoma

These noncancerous skin growths develop in the middle ear, usually due to recurring infections.

When growing behind the eardrum, it can damage the bony structure of the middle ear, causing hearing loss and dizziness.

Is anxiety associated with vertigo?

Yes, vertigo causes extreme anxiety for most. Anxiety, on its own, doesn't produce vertigo. However, when it comes to conditions that produce vertigo, anxiety can make the vertigo a lot worse. People with certain anxiety disorders such as panic attacks can sometimes experience vertigo as well.

The exact cause is not clear, but it may stem from narrowing of the blood vessels, a viral infection, or an autoimmune reaction. There may also be a genetic component which means that it runs in some families.