3 Telltale Signs of Vertigo

Just because you don’t see the dizzying red spirals like those in Alfred Hitchcock’s film “Vertigo” doesn’t mean you don’t have it. If you feel as though the room is spinning, if you feel faint and dizzy, you’re experiencing vertigo. While it’s usually benign in itself, vertigo is a symptom of another, underlying condition, such as:

• Inner-ear problems
• Meniere’s disease 
• Acute vestibular syndrome
• Migraines
• Diabetes

About 40% of Americans have had at least one episode of vertigo in their lifetime. Vertigo can last for seconds or even days. 

If you experience vertigo, it’s best to consult a neurologist to find out what’s causing your dizziness so you can resolve it. Without treatment, vertigo could make it difficult to perform ordinary tasks, such as driving a vehicle, and lead to serious complications, including a life-threatening fall. 

Our neurology experts at Advanced Medical Care in Queens and Brooklyn, New York, administer tests — such as electronystagmography (ENG) and electroencephalogram (EEG) — to uncover the source of your vertigo and then customize a treatment plan.

Do you think you have vertigo? Following are three signs that you have this disorienting symptom and should consult a neurologist.

1. You feel like everything’s spinning

The classic sensation associated with vertigo is that the room is spinning. You might experience something more like whirling or a side-to-side motion.

If you have episodes where the world seems to move around you, or that you’re floating through the air, you could have vertigo. If it happens once, you might not need to worry. If it happens more than once or it persists for more than a few seconds, please call us.

2. You feel off-balance

If you have vertigo, the condition can impair your ability to sense your body in space. Even if you don’t experience the world spinning around you, you may feel like you’re on a rocking ship or that your legs aren’t strong enough to carry you.

Taking a fall is a real possibility with vertigo. Depending on your age and the health of your bones, a fall can create a dangerous cascade that could even lead to early death. 

3. You feel faint or nauseated

If you faint or vomit as a result of feeling dizzy, you likely have vertigo. Vertigo can affect your hearing and your sight as well as your sense of balance. Signs that your dizziness is vertigo include:

• Involuntary eye movements
• Blurry vision
• Visual disturbances
• Slurred speech
• Difficulty walking
• Tinnitus
• Loss of hearing
• Nausea or vomiting
• Sweating
• Weakness
• Numbness

When you see the team at Advanced Medical Care for a vertigo consultation, please be sure to give us a full description of all of the symptoms you’ve experienced, even if you don’t think they relate to vertigo. Vertigo is caused by a number of underlying conditions, so your other symptoms may help us narrow these down. 

Find out why you have vertigo and get the treatment you need to feel grounded again. Schedule an appointment with one of our expert neurologists by phone or by using our online form today.