On the ship, in the elevator or when driving a car – the feeling of being out of balance is probably familiar to everyone. After all, it is not so easy for the body to maintain balance. This requires a complex interplay between the two organs of balance in the inner ear and the other sensory organs.
Three fluid-filled arcuates in the vestibular organs detect the rotational movements of the head. At the same time, small calcium carbonate crystals called otholites register the acceleration of the body there. Orientation in space is also aided by a depth perception system that registers the tension and relaxation of the body via sensors on joints, muscles and tendons. The wealth of information is passed to the brain, where it is processed to create a stable image of the environment.
Causes of vertigo
If communication in this system is disrupted, the world becomes unbalanced. When reading in a car, for example, the eyes are fixed on the motionless writing, while the vestibular organ and depth perception register accelerations. Similar inconsistencies occur when traveling by ship, in an elevator, or when looking down from a great height. Normally, the complaints soon disappear.
But for many people, the world repeatedly starts to falter, even without any apparent cause. According to the German Society for Neurology, vertigo, the medical term for dizziness, is the second most common symptom among Germans after headaches. 17 to 39 percent of the population complain of vertigo problems. The complaints range from slight gait unsteadiness to massive attacks of spinning dizziness with nausea and vomiting. Even though the symptoms can be frightening: Serious neurological diseases are only rarely the cause of vertigo. More often, disorders of the vestibular organ are the underlying cause, as well as circulatory problems, cervical spine disorders or visual disturbances.
Often, dizziness is also caused by psychological factors. Every second to third person affected suffers from so-called psychogenic dizziness, in which no organic causes are found. Here, it is often anxiety or depression that throws patients off balance. Medications can also trigger dizziness. This is usually indicated in the package insert. In case of complaints, the doctor should also be consulted. With almost all medications, there are alternative preparations that the patient can take.
Therapy
In most cases, the doctor can already clarify the causes of dizziness based on the patient’s description. Therefore, it is important that the patient describes the nature of his or her vertigo and the situations in which the complaints occur as precisely as possible to the physician. Once the causes have been identified, the dizziness can be specifically treated.
Special positioning exercises, which the doctor helps the patient to perform, help, for example, if the crystals in the organ of balance have changed their position. In some cases, the doctor recommends balance training or the underlying condition is treated, for example low blood pressure. If circulatory disorders are present, a treatment attempt with gingko special extracts is worthwhile in some cases.
