Vertigo, Dizziness & Balance

Vertigo and dizziness are a symptom, just like headache, for example, and not a diagnosis. Vertigo is a feeling that you’re moving or rotating when you’re not. Many people claim vertigo feels like you have just gotten off a merry-go-round and everything around you is spinning. Or, it might feel like objects around you are moving when they’re not. It is often caused by an inner ear problem caused by fluid buildup or an inner ear infection.

A variety of inner ear problems can cause it, the most common ones are:

• Benign Positional Vertigo (BPV),
• Meniere's disease,
• Labyrinthitis,
• Vestibular neuronitis

There are non-inner ear causes of vertigo as well, like Migraine Associated Vertigo (MAD) and cervical vertigo. Some cardiovascular conditions can also cause dizziness. Due to a multitude of etiological causes, the evaluation of a patient with dizziness and vertigo may be complex. Doctors and  audiologists at ENT of Georgia South will use information from a patient's history, bed side tests, audiometric and balance (vestibular) tests, radiographic imaging, and sometimes consult with specialists in other fields (neurologist, cardiologist) to provide the correct diagnosis. Once the correct diagnosis is made, a course of treatment will be offered. Some conditions will be treated with balance rehabilitation, others with repositioning maneuvers (BPV), dietary recommendations and medications, middle ear (intratympanic) injections, or surgery.