Winter has arrived, and vertigo can trigger or worsen during this season because cold weather narrows blood vessels and affects circulation. Inner ear infections, rhinosinusitis, and low Vitamin D levels also become more common at this time. Winter adds other difficulties, too, such as dry air from heaters, less physical activity, poor visibility due to snow or low light, and dehydration from drinking less water. All these factors can lead to dizziness. Here’s everything you need to know about vertigo.

What is vertigo?

Vertigo makes you feel as if everything around you is spinning. It causes dizziness and a loss of balance. Vertigo is not a disease on its own; instead, it appears as a symptom of several health conditions and may come with other signs.

Symptoms

As per Healthline, you may experience several other symptoms when you have vertigo, such as:
Nausea and vomiting
Dizziness
Trouble keeping your balance
Hearing loss in one or both ears
Tinnitus (ringing in your ears)
Headaches
Motion sickness
A feeling of fullness in your ear
Nystagmus (a condition that makes your eyes move rapidly and uncontrollably from side to side)

Types of vertigo

As per reports, there are two main types of vertigo: peripheral and central.

Peripheral vertigo is the most common. It develops when something affects your inner ear or vestibular nerve, which both support your sense of balance.

Central vertigo is less common. It appears when a condition affects your brain, such as an infection, stroke or traumatic brain injury. People with central vertigo often experience stronger symptoms, including severe instability or difficulty walking.

What is the cause of Vertigo?

Vertigo can occur for many different reasons, and the causes vary from person to person. These may include migraine headaches and certain medications, such as some antibiotics, anti-inflammatory medicines and cardiovascular drugs. It can also result from a stroke, an arrhythmia, diabetes or a head injury. Prolonged bed rest, shingles in or near the ear, or ear surgery may also trigger it. Other causes include a perilymphatic fistula (when inner ear fluid leaks into the middle ear), hyperventilation, low blood pressure when standing up, ataxia, syphilis and otosclerosis, which affects the middle ear bones. Vertigo may also develop due to brain diseases, multiple sclerosis (MS) or an acoustic neuroma.

Vertigo treatment and care

As per reports, healthcare providers ask to march in place for 30 seconds with your eyes closed. If you start to rotate or lean to one side, it may suggest a problem in your inner ear labyrinth, which can lead to vertigo.

The Romberg’s test is another assessment. In this test, your provider will ask you to stand with your feet together and your arms by your side, then close your eyes. If you become unsteady or lose balance, it may indicate an issue in your central nervous system, such as your brain or spinal cord.

There is also the Head Impulse Test. In this test, your provider will gently move your head from side to side while you keep your eyes focused on a still target (for example, a spot on the wall or your provider’s nose). As they move your head, they will closely observe your eye movements. This helps them determine whether there is a problem with the balance system in your inner ear.

A vestibular test battery may also be used. It includes several tests that examine the vestibular part of your inner ear system.