Understanding the Causes of Dizziness
Plus, how physiotherapy can help you improve balance and stability!
Theresa had always been active–she played sports throughout high school and college, and even when she married and had kids, she always made time to work out. One thing Theresa had most looked forward to about retirement was finally having time to pursue new physical activities, like hiking and square dancing. But to Theresa’s dismay, she began experiencing dizziness and vertigo attacks when she turned 66, shortly after she retired.
While the attacks never lasted long, they came on suddenly and often at inopportune moments–like when she ran errands. Eventually, Theresa felt uncomfortable straying too far from the house, afraid yet another vertigo attack would catch up to her.
Theresa’s story isn’t uncommon. Older adults tend to have more issues with balance and stability, including frequent dizzy spells. It’s part of why your fall risk increases as you age.
However, dizziness doesn’t have to be an inevitable part of the aging process. In fact, dizziness is usually a symptom of something else, whether it’s an underlying condition, side effects from medication, or feeling stressed and anxious. In Theresa’s case, she was eventually diagnosed with BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo), the most common inner ear impairment in Canada–and one of the most common sources of dizziness and vertigo.
Once Theresa knew what was causing her dizziness, she could seek treatment to address it–and so can you! At Physio For Life, our team of physiotherapists can help you understand the source of your dizziness and/or vertigo, then work with you to find a solution that suits your needs.
To get started, schedule an appointment at our physiotherapy clinic today!
Dizziness Versus Vertigo
Many people use the terms “dizziness” and “vertigo” interchangeably. However, they do refer to two different sensations. In order to accurately dig down to the root cause of your symptoms, you must be able to describe them correctly.
Dizziness is an umbrella term that refers to several different sensations, such as spinning, floating, wooziness, lightheadedness, and so on. It’s a notoriously tricky sensation for people to capture and often feels different to different people.
Vertigo is a specific type of dizziness. It either feels like you or your surroundings are spinning in circles, even if you’re standing perfectly still.
While dizziness can have any number of causes, including standing up too quickly, vertigo tends to indicate a problem with your vestibular system–the part of your body, mostly located in your inner ear, that helps your body stay balanced.
Getting to the Root of Your Dizziness and Vertigo
The first step in determining the cause of your dizziness is recognizing whether you’re experiencing a general dizzy feeling or vertigo. If you are experiencing vertigo, it’s likely caused by one of the following:
BPPV: As mentioned above, this condition is the most common cause of vertigo in Canada. It occurs when carbon crystals in the inner ear move through the ear canals, throwing off your balance and leading to vertigo.
People with BPPV tend to experience short, sudden vertigo attacks. They may feel random, but in reality, they’re triggered by specific head movements that jostle the carbon crystals. Identifying which movements cause a vertigo attack can help you avoid them, as can certain head maneuvers designed to reposition the crystals back in place.
Mèniére’s disease: This inner ear condition is the second most common cause of vertigo among older adults in Canada. It occurs when fluid builds up in the inner ear. As with BPPV, symptoms can occur suddenly. You may also experience additional symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting, tinnitus, hearing loss, or pressure in the affected ear.
In addition to vestibular conditions, injuries to the brain (traumatic brain injuries) or the inner ear can disrupt vestibular function, leading to vertigo, loss of balance, nausea, and vision issues.
But what if you’re experiencing general dizziness and not the spinning sensation of vertigo? The causes of dizziness are a bit more varied and will depend on a number of factors, including your age, what medical conditions you have, and any medicines you might be taking. Here are just a few common causes of dizziness:
- Medications, which may have dizziness as a side effect
- Low blood pressure
- Diabetes, which can cause dehydration and fluctuations in blood sugar, both of which can lead to dizziness
- Arthritis of the neck, which can cause both vertigo and dizziness
- Stroke
- Parkinson’s disease
Sometimes, addressing your dizziness may mean addressing the underlying cause, such as switching medications or staying hydrated. Other times, you may need to seek dedicated treatment, such as vestibular therapy at Physio For Life.
How Physiotherapy Can Help Address Dizziness
Because our team of physiotherapists understands how the human body moves, we can help you find a solution to address your issues with dizziness and vertigo!
If your dizziness is related to your vestibular system in some way, you’ll likely benefit from vestibular rehabilitation, a form of physiotherapy especially designed to address vestibular symptoms like vertigo. Through customized exercises addressing vertigo triggers, gaze instability, and more, you may be able to reduce the frequency of your vertigo attacks.
If your dizziness is causing issues with balance, dedicated balance and gait training can help you stay on your feet and reduce your fall risk. Our physiotherapists will develop a personalized, progressive program to help you improve strength, stability, and proprioception (your body’s awareness of itself in space).
Our physiotherapists can also help you identify vertigo and dizziness triggers and provide strategies and modifications to help you avoid those triggers, helping to reduce their frequency.
Schedule An Appointment Today!
At Physio For Life, we understand how challenging living with increased dizziness or vertigo can be. Fortunately, our vestibular rehabilitation and balance training programs can help you find a solution that works for you.
To get started, call us to schedule an appointment today!