Vertigo can be a life-changing condition. We can attest to this as many people who seek a chiropractor for vertigo in Phoenix, AZ come to us for help. We’ve heard many stories from our patients, and every time, they share the debilitating effects of vertigo in their lives.
Vertigo can make you feel as if you’re riding a tilt-a-whirl at an amusement park during attacks. It is a specific type of dizziness that causes a false sense of spinning. It may come and go, or it can persist for days at a time. Vertigo may occur with headaches, nausea, vomiting, double vision, or a racing heartbeat. The dizziness it brings is one of the leading reasons why older people go to the emergency room.
Conditions Associated with Vertigo
Some of the common reasons for vertigo are inner ear infections or disorders, including BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo), Meniere’s disease, and vestibular neuritis.
BPPV: The culprit behind this is the buildup of tiny calcium particles in the canals of the inner ear. When these calcium particles transfer to the wrong part of the ear, it leads to an issue with the signals sent to the brain. Vertigo occurs when the brain cannot interpret these signals. Vertigo episodes last from 20 seconds to around 1 minute and are started by a change in head position.
Meniere’s disease: This occurs when there’s an abnormal buildup of fluid in the inner ear that creates pressure and results in some symptoms: tinnitus (ringing in the ears), hearing loss, or vertigo.
Vestibular neuritis: The cause is an inner ear infection causing inflammation around the nerves that are responsible for detecting the body’s balance. It brings an episode of vertigo that lasts for a day or more and can affect the hearing. When you have vestibular neuritis, you may feel off balance or dizzy for a day or two. About 95% of people recover from it and never have it again.
Detecting Vertigo Through Blood Tests
Hospitals and healthcare facilities use around 30 blood tests to confirm diseases. An example is the cardiac enzymes tests for possible heart attack patients. But what about for vertigo? What tests are done to detect this condition?
Research on this very subject is in the works, spearheaded by Dr. Kourosh Parham, associate professor and director of research in the Division of Otolaryngology at UConn Health. He found that newly identified inner ear proteins could be present in small amounts in the blood. Their levels correlate with inner ear conditions. These biomarkers can potentially help with early detection and diagnosis of vertigo and hearing loss.
The Function of the Inner Ear
Vertigo and hearing loss often coexist, particularly in Meniere’s disease. Hearing loss afflicts over 50 million people. Sometimes it’s hereditary. Extended exposure to loud noises or certain medications can cause hearing loss. Problems with the inner ear can lead to vertigo and hearing loss.
The inner ear consists of the chochlea (the tiny, snail-shaped structure which is responsible) for processing sound. The cochlea has several fluid-filled canals with outer hair cells to enable the cochlea’s ability to regulate sound and boost sensitivity to sound. When there’s loud noise or toxicity, these hairs are the first to get damaged.
How Blood Test Can Detect Vertigo
Dr. Parham is working on the blood test that can trace the specific protein prestin that is released when the outer hairs become injured. Prestin is in the inner cellular membranes of the hair cells. Based on the level of protein in a patient’s blood, this blood test can tell if inner ear damage is present and how much hearing loss may be due to it. Dr. Parham hopes to detect early warning signs of hearing loss so that solutions can be tried before permanent damage happens.
Before discovering that this blood test can help detect hearing loss, Dr. Parham found that it can also specify a unique blood biomarker that is positive for BPPV. As mentioned above, otoconia (the loose crystals associated with BPPV) trigger vertigo. They detect gravity and help your brain to keep your balance. They are supposed to stay in one place. However, aging and head injury can cause them to relocate. They dissolve and release a particular protein called Otolin-1 over time. If a patient has this protein in the blood, BPPV might be what’s happening.
Natural, Lasting Care for Vertigo in Phoenix, AZ
Besides ear issues, vertigo is also linked to neck misalignments. In many cases, a misalignment in the upper cervical spine is causing the problems with the ear. A misaligned C1 or C2 vertebra puts undue pressure on the brainstem and causes it to send wrong signals to the brain about the body’s location. This can be one cause of vertigo. Another possible reason for the malfunction of the balance system in the ear is the lesion in the eustachian tube, still due to a misalignment. Formation of a lesion in this area can affect one’s balance.
In a nutshell, the key to maintaining good balance is to have a properly aligned spine. Our Phoenix, AZ vertigo chiropractor helps all our patients achieve that goal here at Horizon Chiropractic Center in Phoenix, Arizona. We use a mild technique that does not pop or crack the neck to achieve great results. We encourage the bones to move back in their original position through low-pressure adjustments. Studies have proven upper cervical chiropractic care helps alleviate the symptoms of vertigo. Through receiving our care, many patients end their suffering from vertigo.
Contact us today to see how we can help you.
1 Comment
I have had burning mouth dizziness and nausau 3 years. my ears are ringing so loud. turning head even makes sick.