Vertigo Specialist
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Jacksonville ENT Surgery
Otolaryngology & Medical Spa located in Jacksonville, FL & Lake City, FL
If you ever felt like your surroundings were spinning, you know how disoriented you can feel after a few seconds of vertigo. Imagine the challenge of having vertigo on a regular basis. At Jacksonville ENT Surgery, Charles Greene, MD, PhD, and Tara Condrey, PA-C, specialize in getting to the cause of your vertigo and providing the treatment you need to overcome the problem. The practice has three offices in Jacksonville and one in Lake City, Florida. If you need help with vertigo, dizziness, or balance problems, book an appointment online or call one of the four offices today.
Vertigo Q & A
What is vertigo?
Vertigo is a type of dizziness that makes you feel like your surroundings are spinning around. Along with the spinning, you may have symptoms such as:
- Headaches
- Ringing in your ears
- Involuntary eye movements
- Loss of balance
- Feeling disoriented
- Nausea or vomiting
Vertigo attacks usually occur suddenly. Your vertigo may last a short time or go on for days, depending on what causes the problem.
What causes vertigo?
Vertigo has many causes, depending on whether you have peripheral or central vertigo.
Peripheral vertigo
This type of vertigo develops when you have a problem with your inner ear or the nerve that serves the inner ear. For example, you may have an inner ear infection, an inflamed or damaged nerve (vestibular neuritis), or Meniere’s disease.
Meniere’s disease, a condition that involves excess fluid in the inner ear, causes severe vertigo that can last for several hours.
However, the most common type of peripheral vertigo is called benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). BPPV occurs when calcium crystals affect the fluid-filled tubes in your inner ear. You develop vertigo when the crystals disrupt the fluid’s movement.
Central vertigo
Central vertigo begins when something happens to the part of your brain that regulates balance. Examples of health conditions that cause central vertigo include:
- Migraine
- Stroke
- Tumor
- Concussion
- Multiple sclerosis
Certain medications can also cause central vertigo.
How does vertigo differ from dizziness?
When you’re dizzy, you may feel lightheaded or lose your balance. Dizziness is caused by problems such as:
- Ear disorders
- Inner ear infections
- Migraines
- Allergies
- Traumatic brain injury
- Irregular heart rhythms
- Low blood sugar
- Medications
- Carotid artery disease
Some people feel dizzy when they’re under stress or dehydrated.
How is vertigo treated?
The team at Jacksonville ENT Surgery provides comprehensive care for vertigo, dizziness, and balance disorders, which may be interrelated. Your provider uses videonystagmography caloric testing to diagnose vertigo.
Your treatment for vertigo may include:
- Epley maneuver for BPPV
- Medication to reduce symptoms
- Medication to suppress inner ear activity
- Balance therapy or vestibular rehabilitation
- Lifestyle changes to reduce your risk of stroke
When you have vertigo, dizziness, or a balance disorder, you also have a high risk of falling, so your provider will talk with you about ways to prevent falls.
To get help for vertigo, call Jacksonville ENT Surgery today or book an appointment online.
