Vertigo is caused by various vestibular or inner ear disorders. The most common causes of Vertigo are; benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), vestibular neuritis, and Meniere’s disease. Although it can also be caused by head injuries or migraines.In order to answer the question “How do you get Vertigo?” let’s take a look into all of the known causes.

To fully understand your cause of Vertigo, let’s look into what causes these three common vestibular disorders.

Hopefully one will personally stand out to you, and you can be confident about your self diagnosis.

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)

First let’s look at benign paroxysmal positional vertigo or (BPPV). Sadly this specific disorder is often diagnosed without a known cause. Many people who experience BPPV don’t have any type of head trauma or ear issues. However when BPPV is diagnosed with a cause it is often from one the following:

• Minor or severe head trauma
• Inner ear damage
• damage to ear during surgery
• calcium buildup inside ear canal
• disorder of inner ear organs

Additionally, BPPV is more frequently found in patients 50 and older, and is more common in women than in men.

Vestibular Neuritis

Unlike BPPV, Vestibular Neuritis has a straight forward cause. Vestibular neuritis is caused by inflammation to the vestibulocochlear nerve which is located deep inside the ear canal. This nerve is responsible for sending position and balance information to your brain, so when it becomes inflamed it can’t send information properly causing you to experience dizziness or Vertigo.

So what causes Vestibular Neuritis? Most researchers and doctors believe vestibular neuritis is caused by viral infections of the inner ear, and sometimes even other viral body infections such as; Measles, Herpes, Mumps, Hepatitis, Flu, etc.

Meniere’s Disease

Finally the last final cause for Vertigo is Meniere’s Disease. Meniere’s is an inner ear disease that usually only affects one ear at a time, but can progress to both ears if not treated properly. Meniere’s disease is caused by abnormalities in the structure or amount of fluid in your ear. It most commonly occurs in people ages 20-50 and is a lifelong disease, it can however be treated to minimize symptoms and long term impact on a your life.

How do you get rid of Vertigo?

Now that you know the backstory behind the 3 most common Vertigo causes you might be asking yourself “what now?”. Well if you believe you are suffering from Vertigo no matter what the cause you should seek medical attention.

Depending on the severity and cause of your Vertigo, it could go away on its own. However, if you are experiencing constant symptoms for an extended period of time you should get checked out. For very severe cases it is best to visit a throat eyes and ears specialist. Although, the majority of Vertigo cases are treated by physical therapists. Typically Vertigo is treated by a series of vision and balance exercises that retrain your brain and counteract Vertigo symptoms.

Overall Vertigo isn’t a super dangerous or fatal disease, so you don’t have to worry too much. Symptoms just needs to be treated with caution. Most individuals suffering still drive and live their lives like normal. They just wait out the Vertigo symptoms when they strike.

Need Medical Help with your Vertigo?

Here at Right Rehab our Head therapist Ram prides himself on being on of the best balance and dizziness therapists in the state, and would love to help you! Just fill you our free consultation form here: Free Consultation