Have you ever experienced to have vertigo?

swirling world: vertigo - the swirling feeling is felt when one experience vertigo. one loses her balance and that he/she can't stand without assistance.
@janevi (888)
Philippines
December 8, 2011 5:39pm CST
For 3 weeks now , a friend has been having vertigo. She was in bedridden 10 days because she can't stand. She falls everytime she stands. She lost her balance . Even while lying on bed she feels that everything around her is turning around. She just close her close most of the time to prevent the feeling of nausea. With medications, she was able to get out of bed but still needs some assistance. I was accompanying her in going to the hospital all this time and yesterday she was advised to be confined to the hospital for further medical work ups because she was not totally relieved by the medications prescribed. Today she will undergo a magnetic resonance imaging or MRI of the brain to check thoroughly what could have caused the swirling of her world. She has been absent from work for more then 2 weeks. She tried to report to school in days that she can manage her symptoms but has to go home in the middle of the day because she can't stand to be seated for long hours. She is only forty seven years old. Since all her laboratory results and ct scan have normal results, the doctor is wondering what is the cause of her condition. I am also wondering, that this could be due to menopausal syndrome. It could be a possibility but how will I know? It is only the person herself who can say that. But what if she is not aware that it could be a possible cause of her condition? What can you say about this? I getting tired of assisting her anymore because my work is also affected. But she feels that it is my duty to take care of her. It just so happened that I am the one who knows her condition more or less and has the patience to be with her. The thing is I am also getting tired of it. What could you advise? Have you ever experienced vertigo? How did you manage it? Is it that debilitating on your part that you can no longer work or even take care of your own personal needs?
4 people like this
9 responses
@TrvlArrngr (4045)
• United States
11 Dec 11
My boss had this and gets it from time to time. The doctors told her it is because she tends to hold water in one of her ears. I know she is miserable when it happens and sometimes cannot leave the house at all.
1 person likes this
@janevi (888)
• Philippines
11 Dec 11
The symptoms really is quite irritating because the person who has it can't do her activities of daily living. Vertigo can disrupt the persons normal activities that it can affect her work, her temperament and her sanity.
1 person likes this
@buenavida (9984)
• Sweden
11 Dec 11
Hi, janevi It is really great that you help your friend, but I hope she can find a solution soon. My mom had vertigo at the time she had menopause - it came in attacks, so she didn´t have it all the time. It was not fun, but after some time the attacks stopped. I´ve learned that vegetables from the Chruciferous family can help a lot for menopause. You can do a search and find them, there are many kinds. And they are good for everyone.. There is something called Meniéres disease, that also has symtoms with vertigo, and the good news is that it is curable. A good doctor should know how she can with special movements treat herself and it will be over in a rather short time. One guy I know had problems with the balance nerve due to being hit when he was doing boxing and suffered from vertigo, and he got help of homeopathic medicine.. So there can be many reasons, and it is always good to start with a diagnosis to find out the reason for her problems and then try to find a cure. Why not do a search on the net and see what you can find..?? I do hope you find a solution soon..
@buenavida (9984)
• Sweden
13 Dec 11
If you can find a skilled homeopath, I believe it would save a lot of time. Their diagnostics are really efficient, as far as I have experienced. But it is of course up to your friend to decide! Maybe a skilled chiropractor may help too, if the problem comes from lack of enough blood circulation in the neck and thus the head. I´ve also tried acupuncture, if you know someone who is good at that - it has helped in many cases and many health problems.. It would of course be good to increase the immunity of your friend. If she can eat more vegetables and fruit, it would be fine. If she doesn´t want to, good quality food supplements may help. gnld.com has great supplements that has helped me a lot. Thanks for the BR award..
@janevi (888)
• Philippines
13 Dec 11
Thank you buebavida.:-) I am aware of this 'vertigo de meneire'. I for one had it when i was a little bit younger. I did not even take any medication for it but i was in bed for 2 full days because I cannot get up. The world seemed to be turning around. On the third day, i was able to get out of bed. But for this friend of mine, she has all the medicines that could possibly cure her but it seems that it do no good to her. She was diagnosed to have chronic sinusitis and to rule out polyps in the sinuses, a ct scan was conducted. When it was released, the result was normal. She was referred to an internist. She underwent MRI and just like the previous tests, it was normal. I am just wondering what would be the cause of her vertigo. All possibilities were explored and tested but it has no clear reason cited. Maybe i just have to exhaust all possible reading materials about the disease so that I can lengthen my patience because i seemed to run out of it already.:-D
1 person likes this
@emdjay23 (1575)
• Philippines
9 Dec 11
Honestly, they say that Vertigo is hereditary disease. and I myself would testify on that. about 10 years ago I have been diagnosed with Vertigo, but before that I used to experience dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea and vomiting. on me, vertigo became so much hassle because I cant travel anymore, I faint in cars, and I hear so much ringing in my ear. that's why I decided to see my doctor, and they say its vertigo, I got it from my mom.. and later this year I just found out that all of my cousins were also suffering from it. Unfortunately Vertigo is also associated with Balance issue.. and because of that I decided to study Nursing just to know more about it.
@emdjay23 (1575)
• Philippines
10 Dec 11
you know what janevi, my mom experiences just the same like you do.. and now I can't leave her alone anymore.. It was so hard for her to do the things she usually do.. but she has to face it and me too, I have to face it..it hard but I cant do anything about it as of now..Though they give us medication its still not working..I don't know why..
@janevi (888)
• Philippines
9 Dec 11
I haven't read something about an information that vertigo is hereditary yet. It really is a big hassle because it disrupts your activities of daily living. It is good if you can manage it. There are some cases that are really manageable but in the case of this friend, i think its serious because even with medications she is not relieved. Just this morning upon waking up, she felt dizzy again that she could not open her eyes and could not even move her head sideways. It is caused by the imbalance distribution of the liquid in the middle ear that facilitates the conduction of sound and be heard clearly. In her case, as discovered by the doctor , there is the congestion of her paranasal sinuses that blocks the proper distribution of this liquid and thus making the sensation of the swirling of her environment even. Now the doctors are suspecting that it it something of the nerves. so we are advised to go to a neurologist to role out brain mass or whatever it is that is causing her vertigo. Thank you for your thoughts about this. good that you have enrolled in nursing to have a full understanding of your illness. For me, Im just reading it and since I'm taking of someone having this kind of illness, I learned how to manage her symptoms , first hand.:-) Have a nice day.
@janevi (888)
• Philippines
11 Dec 11
It is my friend who has this vertigo . I only take care of her. Maybe it is high time for you to for further tests to know the cause of your vertigo as early as possible so that it can be managed properly for your peace of mind. The doctor told us of many possible cause of this vertigo and the tests and treatment being given is to role out the possible causes. I hope that after these several tests,she will be healed and she will be able to manage her symptoms without being too dependent on someone to be at her side all the time.
@1hopefulman (45120)
• Canada
9 Dec 11
A friend of mine was suffering for months and nothing seemed to help much until he went to a Chinese herbalist and was given some herbs to make a tea with and in no time it cleared up and has not had a problem since. Hard to believe but that's what happened.
@1hopefulman (45120)
• Canada
12 Dec 11
It is best to visit a qualified health professional when one has a medical condition. Herbs can be dangerous if mixed incorrectly. If there is a Chinese herbalist in the area, best to seek their help.
@janevi (888)
• Philippines
13 Dec 11
thank you for that word of caution. you are right. there are herbs that can be harmful to ones health if it is not prepared properly.
@janevi (888)
• Philippines
9 Dec 11
That's good news. Can I have the name of that chinese herbs that helped him relieved from his vertigo ? so that I can also give it to my friend. thank you.
@gloryacam (5540)
• Philippines
9 Dec 11
I often experience vertigo but not to that extent. I can still stand and do stuff, but I feel so dizzy. Sometimes, even if I'm lying down, I feel the world spinning. I have a condition in my inner ear that cause these spells. My doctor often prescribes anti-dizzy meds. Thankfully, it works most of the time.
@janevi (888)
• Philippines
9 Dec 11
It;s good that the medicines work for you. In her case, the medicines relieve her for a short time only.I am already getting impatient because sometimes I feel that it is just making it a big deal to get attention. I don't also like to think it that way but I can't help because she is not sensitive to my own condition too. I can't tell it to her because she might get hurt and I don't like to add up to her emotional burden.
@janevi (888)
• Philippines
9 Dec 11
Thank you triximae. I really do hope that she will accept it and not making it a big deal that I am already getting at my wits end. Have a nice day.
• Philippines
9 Dec 11
stay cool and stay sweet with her...:-) what i can offer to your friend is my prayers, that she may be able to see and accept the cycle of her life.
• United States
9 Dec 11
It might be something as simple as an ear infection. A few years ago I kept getting dizzy at work. I thought I wasn't eating enough so I made sure not to skip any meals but I was still feeling dizzy. Finally one day I went to the doctor & after running a few tests which including looking into both my ears the doctor told me I had an ear infection. I was shocked because my ear wasn't even hurting me. I had no idea there was anything even wrong with my ear. He put me on some meds to fight the infection & soon after the dizziness stopped.
@gloryacam (5540)
• Philippines
9 Dec 11
Our equilibrium is maintained by some fluid in our ear. So when we have ear infections, sometimes that equilibrium thingy gets upset we get vertigo. I experience that often, too. So, every year I have to see my doctor.
@janevi (888)
• Philippines
9 Dec 11
She was also prescribed an antibiotics for her infection that caused the paranasal congestion, Every possible ailment that is possible in giving that dizziness has been addressed but it seems that it does not work. The attending physician is already thinking to endorse her to e neurologist for further management. We have gone to EENT and Internal Medicine specialist,yet her condition seemed to not improved. We are only waiting for the results of the MRI to know what to do next.
@lilaclady (28207)
• Australia
9 Dec 11
A friend of mine had that problem and it turned out to be an inner ear problem, I had a bit of it not so long ago and my doctor said it can sometimes mean medication needs to be regulated, so I had to have blood tests to see if that was the case, so she reduced one of my tablets a bit.
@janevi (888)
• Philippines
9 Dec 11
You are right that it is a problem of the inner ear that can be triggered by the medicines. Were you relieved by doing all these? In the case of this friend, she is relieved temporarily but the symptoms keep on coming back even with the medication prescribed to control the vertigo.Thank you for your ideas and thoughts on this.
@Fortunata (1135)
• United States
9 Dec 11
A few days ago I had that happen to me-I couldn't even get out of bed. What a horrible feeling, ugh! Sick to my stomach, and the room is spinning. I get these like once every two months. I do have fluid in my ears, and have had my ears checked by a nurse practioner, but I think I'm going to have to go to a specialist as they keep telling me there's nothing wrong with my ears. If I take decongestants or allergy meds, it helps, but these make me irritable and I turn into a broom rider, lol!! You should explain to your friend that you have a life, and that she should find someone else sometimes to help her with her medical appointments.
@janevi (888)
• Philippines
9 Dec 11
you made me smile by your term 'being a broom rider'. I can just imagine how you acted like one . Everyone has fluid in the middle ear because this is the one that facilitates our conduction of sound so that we can it clearly. In the case of vertigo, this fluid is not properly distributed due to some reasons like congestion or ear infection. Physically, there no wrong in the ears except that its function or its physiology is affected. Thanks. At least I smiled and make me see things at the lighter side . Have a nice day.
@Cutie18f (9551)
• Philippines
9 Dec 11
How old is your friend? I notice that this ailment afflicts the elder ones. I have a feeling too that it has something to do with blood pressure. I know someone who is also having this attacks every now and then. She said that the attacks started when she was in her mid forties and they became more frequent as she ages. I think I have experienced this once. It's like a headache and you can't stand because the world is turning.
@janevi (888)
• Philippines
9 Dec 11
She is forty seven. She is actually having a maintenance for her blood pressure and it is controlled at a normal level. The thing is she also has asthma. according to the doctor, the congestion has also contributed to her having the vertigo spells. Exactly, her world is turning and thus she feels like vomiting and has to close her eyes all the time to avoid falling. But even in closed eyes, the sensation of the world is going round and round is still there. I just pray that I will have more patience.:-) Thanks.