English
Vertigo is a symptom associated with multiple kinds of vestibular disorders and other health conditions. People who have vertigo episodes may feel dizzy as if they are spinning, whirling, tilting, swaying, or off-balance. Vertigo can also include headaches, migraines, changes in hearing, nausea, and abnormal movement of the eyes.
If you are experiencing vertigo and are searching for ways to get relief but would prefer to stay away from medication use (along with their inconvenient side-effects) or invasive procedures, we have a list of helpful tips to lead you in the right direction.
#1 - Canalith Repositioning Maneuvers
A very common condition that includes vertigo as one of its symptoms is BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo). With this condition, there are certain head positions that can bring you relief. BPPV originates from an issue with the calcium crystals of the inner ear when they travel from the place they are normally embedded into another area where they don't belong.
This can have a number of effects, including vertigo. The reason for this is that the calcium crystals disrupt the signals related to head positioning that the inner ear sends to the brain. Doing a series of coordinated movements with the head in order to reposition the crystals can relieve vertigo symptoms. The canalith repositioning maneuver that is used most often is called the Epley maneuver.
#2 – Drink Enough Water
Keeping up on your daily water intake can impact whether your vertigo or dizziness subsides. Even mild levels of dehydration can change your blood pressure, leaving you feeling dizzy, nauseous, and off-balance. Staying away from caffeine and alcohol is also helpful. Doctors may recommend a low-sodium diet for vertigo sufferers to improve hydration levels and reduce fluid retention in the inner ear.
#3 - Consuming Anti-inflammatory Foods
Including anti-inflammatory foods into your daily food regimen can help with stabilizing blood pressure levels and help combat dehydration, which decreases your risk of developing vertigo. A few good options to incorporate are leafy greens (high in potassium which can help lower blood pressure), healthy fats (avocado, wild-caught fish, coconut oil), fresh fruits, and lean protein from clean sources (cage-free eggs, grass-fed meats, etc.)
#4 – Find Helpful Supplements
Dizziness and vertigo can be associated with certain nutrient deficiencies. Vitamin B12, vitamin D, ginger, and ginkgo Biloba have been known to help with overcoming some people’s vertigo symptoms and with feeling more balanced.
#5 - Eliminate Stress When Possible
High levels of stress appear to increase the likelihood of developing vertigo or increasing the severity of an existing vertigo episode. Chronic stress affects your health negatively in a number of ways, including lowering immunity (making you more prone to ear infections and other vestibular issues) and negatively affecting your sleep.
Incorporating yoga, meditation, taking a warm bath or shower before bedtime, essential oil use, and walking are all different ways that have been shown to positively impact stress levels.
#6 - Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy
Vestibular rehabilitation is a branch of physical therapy designed specifically to re-train the organs whose key role is to maintain balance. The vestibular system is the main system your body depends upon for coordinating balance.
The way that it works is by constantly sending and receiving messages back and forth from the brain to make the appropriate adjustments to the body's position. What may be included in vestibular rehab are exercises to improve hand-eye coordination, balance, muscle strengthening, and endurance.
#7 – Stay Away from Alcohol
There are a number of reasons that drinking alcohol proves to be problematic for vertigo sufferers. Alcohol can be dehydrating, and it is able to change the volume and composition of the fluid in your inner ear. Excess inner ear fluid, which is called endolymph, is associated with Meniere's disease (primary idiopathic endolymphatic hydrops).
Lowering alcohol consumption or staying away from it as much as possible can help decrease your vertigo symptoms.
#8 – Getting Some Sun
A deficiency of vitamin D can make BPPV symptoms worse. There are not many foods containing vitamin D, and even those only have a small amount. The top two ways to boost vitamin D levels are by sun exposure directly on the skin or by using a supplement.
UVB rays absorbing into your bare skin is the most natural and easiest way to get a healthy amount of vitamin D. For people in certain climates, this is not always possible, so in these cases a high-quality vitamin D3 supplement is usually sufficient
#9 - Get Plenty of Sleep
Lacking enough sleep for long periods of time can lead to the onset of vertigo. Protect your full night of sleep (aim for 7-8 hours) by establishing regular sleep and rise time. This helps with energy levels and allows you to get regular sleep (good for lowering blood pressure and controlling stress). In the morning, slowly rising out of bed can also help reduce the likelihood of a vertigo episode because it gives your ears and heads a chance to acclimate to a new position.
#10 - Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care
Upper cervical chiropractic care is a unique niche within the chiropractic profession that specializes in the uppermost vertebrae in the spine. The upper cervical area of your neck can be what is behind many common health conditions, including vertigo-causing conditions.
Any time the vertebrae of your upper cervical spine misalign, it can affect brainstem function, blood flow between the brain and neck, and also your inner ear's ability to drain properly. Getting the top two vertebrae of the spine checked and corrected has brought long-lasting, natural relief to many vertigo sufferers.
This is particularly imperative for vertigo sufferers who have a history of any kind of neck or head injury. At Atlas Health Australia, we administer a very precise and gentle method to make sure that proper alignment is achieved and maintained. If you are experiencing vertigo, just a few specific adjustments could allow your body to finally heal so you can have your normal quality of life restored.
References:
To schedule, a complimentary consultation call our North Lakes Queensland office at 07-3188-9329
Leave a comment