Definition – What is a vertigo in old age?
Vertigo in old age is the term used to describe dizziness attacks that occur occasionally or more frequently in older people. Nowadays, more than half of all senior citizens suffer from recurrent vertigo. Different types can be distinguished.
On the one hand, vertigo attacks can occur, which have certain characteristics, such as a dependence of vertigo on the position of the body. On the other hand, there is the often very general vertigo, also known as vertigo of old age, which is caused by several factors that come together more often in old age. The individual types of vertigo are summarized in the following article. In this way, you can find out which type of vertigo you have and thus prevent it.
Causes of dizziness in old age
When dizziness occurs in old age, the balance of the affected person is disturbed. Various systems in the body are jointly responsible for this balance, which means that there are many possible causes. The organ of equilibrium, which is part of the inner ear, often suffers from poorer blood circulation in old age.
This slows down or disturbs the transmission of signals to the brain and leads to dizziness. Occasionally, so-called ear stones can become loose in the organ of equilibrium. This leads to so-called benign positional vertigo, which occurs when the body position changes and can also occur in younger people.
In old age, vision is often limited by eye diseases, such as cataracts. As a result, important information for the coordination of the body can no longer be passed on to the brain, which can lead to dizzy spells. The physique also changes with age.
A reduction in physical strength and coordination, as well as a prolonged reaction time can also promote dizzy spells. Dizziness in old age is also aggravated in many people by diseases such as low blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, dementia or Parkinson’s disease. Likewise, individual medications or a combination of several medications can cause dizziness.
- Balance disturbance and dizziness
- Causes of dizziness
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