Don't neglect your ear if you feel dizzy
Most of the dizziness is caused by ear-related diseases. Stating that most of the dizziness, which is more common in middle and older ages, is caused by ear-related diseases, experts recommend consulting a physician.
Üsküdar University NPISTANBUL Hospital ENT Specialist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat Topak said that balance is provided as a result of the evaluation of information from the eyes, balance organs in the inner ear, muscular and skeletal system by the brain.
Stating that a disorder in one of these systems disrupts the harmony between these systems, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat Topak stated that as a result, complaints of imbalance or dizziness occur.
MORE COMMON IN MIDDLE AND OLDER AGES
Stating that dizziness is an illusion of movement, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat Topak said, "The patient feels as if there is a movement that does not exist, and thinks that he or his surroundings are moving. The feeling of imbalance is the inability to maintain balance according to one's surroundings. Dizziness and balance disorder are very common complaints. It is more common in middle and older age groups. It is very rare in childhood," he said.
Stating that the most important step in the evaluation of the patient with dizziness and imbalance is to note the complaints in detail and to undergo a systemic examination, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat Topak said the following:
"This may sometimes require a teamwork consisting of Ear Nose Throat (ENT), Neurology and Cardiology. Most of the time, many technological tools such as audiometric tests, videonystagmography, caloric tests, routine biochemistry, electrocardiography, MRI, neck doppler, ultrasonography can be used in differential diagnosis.
If the examination and the patient's history suggest an ear-related disease, the patient's hearing should be checked with audiometric examination. VNG (videonystagmography) is another test that shows inner ear functions and is based on recording eye movements induced by visual or caloric stimuli. It is an important feature that it can provide information about the location and side of the lesion causing dizziness and provides documentation, especially in the computerized system."
THE PROBLEM MAY BE IN YOUR EAR
Stating that there are various causes of dizziness, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat Topak listed them as follows:
"Ear-related causes: Ear-related diseases are responsible for the majority of true dizziness. Position-related dizziness is the most common cause in clinics dealing with dizziness. It is responsible for 50% of vertigo cases in older age groups. Typical complaints include vertigo with head movements, lasting for seconds, with rotation of the circumference, a feeling of imbalance and nausea. In most patients, these complaints resolve periodically and then recur. The diagnosis is based on the response of the semicircular canals in the inner ear to certain maneuvers during tests. The treatment consists of special maneuvers based on repositioning the displaced crystals in the semicircular canals.
MENIERE'S DISEASE
It is characterized by episodes of hearing loss, ringing in the ears, a feeling of fullness and dizziness. The disease is caused by an imbalance of fluids in the inner ear. There may be ear diseases due to a viral infection affecting the balance nerve, acute and chronic middle ear infections, ear diseases with hearing loss, and sometimes dizziness due to rupture of the membranes in the inner ear for no apparent reason.
TRAUMAS
Dizziness with hearing loss can occur after a fracture of the skull, often caused by hard blows to the head, which also causes damage to the inner ear. Sometimes dizziness may occur even without a skull fracture due to concussion of the inner ear structures.
NEUROLOGICAL DISEASES
Diseases such as migraine, nutritional disorders due to bleeding or blockages in blood vessels in the central nervous system consisting of organs such as the brain and cerebellum, multiple sclerosis, various brain tumors, Parkinson's disease can cause imbalance.
INTERNAL DISEASES
Heart failure, heart valve disease, diabetes, thyroid gland diseases, anemia, uncontrolled high blood pressure, low blood pressure due to position, heart rhythm disorders, sudden and severe dehydration (diarrhea, vomiting) can cause dizziness.
Psychogenic dizziness can also be seen."
PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT IS IMPORTANT
Stating that the treatment in dizziness is directed towards the cause, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat Topak said, "In positional dizziness, treatment is possible with maneuvers that correct the pathological condition detected during the tests. The treatment applied in Meniere's disease aims to eliminate the complaints of the disease, primarily dizziness during the attack, and in the treatment in the inter-attack period, it is also important to identify and eliminate the triggering stress factors of the patient, to encourage occupation and sports activities by leaving a sedentary lifestyle (with irregular physical activity or no physical activity) and to receive professional psychological help when necessary."
STRESS AND SMOKING CAN TRIGGER ATTACKS
Noting that factors such as stress, fatigue, smoking, alcohol and caffeine can trigger attacks in Meniere's disease, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat Topak made the following recommendations:
"It is recommended to avoid salty foods and not to add salt to meals after cooking. The fact that there are individual differences in the natural course of the disease makes the choice and method of treatment difficult. However, in general, 85% of patients benefit from medical treatment, while the remaining need interventional treatments, including intratympanic treatments, local high pressure application, ventilation tube application, endolymphatic sac surgery, vestibular neurectomy. If dizziness is due to acute or chronic otitis media, these diseases should be treated appropriately. Other causes of dizziness are treated with various methods after the correct diagnosis is made by the relevant branch physicians."