If you often feel dizzy and spin until you lose your balance, be careful you may have vertigo. This health disorder cannot be ignored and taken lightly, because vertigo that recurs suddenly can be dangerous.
Vertigo is an unbalanced sensation that will make you feel like you are spinning or your surroundings are spinning. Attacks of vertigo can occur suddenly and last for a few seconds, or they may last longer. This can be distracting and uncomfortable.
Get to know Vertigo and its Dangers
Based on the cause, vertigo can be divided into two types, namely central and peripheral vertigo. Central vertigo is a type of vertigo caused by disorders of the central nervous system.
While peripheral vertigo is a type of vertigo caused by problems with the balance organ in the inner ear. Peripheral vertigo is the most common type of vertigo.
When vertigo attacks occur, the following symptoms and complaints may appear:
- Dizziness spinning, or the surroundings seem to move. These symptoms can occur even when you are still in a still state.
- The presence of abnormal eye movements called nystagmus.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Headache.
- Sweating.
- Ringing in the ears or hearing loss.
Various Dangers of Vertigo
Vertigo is a symptom of a disease. The danger of vertigo will depend on the underlying disease. However, when vertigo attacks occur, the following things can harm the sufferer:
1. Increase the risk of accidents while driving
If you often experience dizziness or the sensation of spinning and driving your own vehicle, you should be more careful. If vertigo recurs while you are driving, an accident could occur that could endanger you and others.
2. Causing a fall due to loss of balance
In addition, people with vertigo can also fall and suffer injuries due to not being able to maintain their position and balance.
3. Disturbing hearing
If vertigo is caused by disturbances in the balance organ in the ear, the recurrence of vertigo can be accompanied by hearing problems, such as ringing in the ears, decreased hearing ability, and even hearing loss.
4. Interfere with daily activities
In chronic cases, vertigo can also interfere with daily activities. This is because vertigo can recur suddenly. And when vertigo flares up, you can find it difficult to stand and walk, which will limit your activities and work.
5. Be a sign of stroke or other problems in the brain
If it recurs frequently, especially if it is accompanied by other symptoms, such as weakness on one side of the body or difficulty controlling body movements, vertigo can be a sign of a nervous system disorder. One of them is a stroke, which can cause permanent disability and even be life-threatening.
When viewed from the various dangers that can occur, vertigo cannot be considered trivial and needs to be treated by a doctor immediately. To reduce the danger of vertigo, you need to:
- Do regular check-ups with your doctor, especially if you have certain medical conditions, such as hypertension, diabetes, and a history of stroke.
- Controlling salt intake to reduce vertigo symptoms in Meniere's disease.
- Follow the doctor's advice to do vestibular rehabilitation regularly, if you suffer from peripheral vertigo. This can help prevent vertigo from recurring.
Do not underestimate vertigo complaints. Immediately consult a doctor to get the appropriate treatment, so that you avoid the various dangers of vertigo above.