Vertigo is the medical term used to describe the feeling that you or your surroundings are moving or spinning.
Vertigo can be debilitating for those who suffer from it. Vertigo is a severe condition of dizziness and loss of balance, often involving a feeling of constant movement or spinning when standing or even lying still.
Daily life can be affected when experiencing vertigo, with people often experiencing nausea, and if severe enough, vomiting or falling when trying to stand or walk. Many people with severe vertigo even have difficulty getting out of bed, feeling as if the world is moving beneath them.
Due to the risk of falling, this is particularly dangerous for older people. In less severe cases, loss of balance is still a problem. Some people may experience mild visual disturbances or blurred vision and difficulty moving quickly. Some people experience headaches, difficulty concentrating, neck pain, and even eye pain.
Many people with vertigo do not get treatment. This can be dangerous and uncomfortable, not only for you but also for those around you.
What are the effects of leaving vertigo untreated?
There are three major effects:
1. Central nervous system
In other words, there could be a problem with your heart or your brain, specifically your brainstem and/or cerebellum. These are brain structures that help coordinate balance, but more importantly, operate many of our vital functions (breathing, digestion, circulation, movement).
Central vertigo is a form of vertigo that results from problems in the same systems that regulate your vital functions. And it’s not uncommon for people with central vertigo to also have a minor stroke, brain tumor, multiple sclerosis, or another serious neurological disorder.
There’s a lot of overlap between the symptoms of central vertigo and peripheral vertigo, so it’s easy to mistake a serious condition for something less serious.
And that’s why it’s important to pinpoint the exact cause of your vertigo to make sure there’s nothing more serious going on.
2. Impaired Livelihood
Life as a vertigo sufferer isn’t easy. You never know when a vertigo attack will take over your day. Or worse, you’ll feel a little off all the time. That’s no way to live.
Constant or unexpected vertigo can interfere with vacations, family events, the way you work, and even when you want to have free time.
You don’t get to choose when you get vertigo. And so your life and the lives of those around you are completely in the hands of your dizziness.
This invisible symptom is confusing to those around you. And so, they cannot understand why you are missing important things or why your mood and attitude are constantly down.
3. Unexpected expenses
Health problems become out of control, sudden or constant dizziness affects your life and mood. It can disrupt your outlook on life, causing you to make other bad choices that have huge health care costs later.
For example, the average cost of a BPPV diagnosis is $2,000 because more than 65% of people will undergo unnecessary diagnostic tests and treatments, resulting in health care costs of up to $2 billion per year!
Sudden bouts of dizziness can lead to falls, accidents, fractures, head injuries, etc., and these are the worst-case scenarios that no one thinks about until they happen. Although older people often suffer serious falls due to vestibular problems, this can happen to anyone, and accidents can result in medical expenses.
