If you experience frequent dizzy spells, you may wonder if you have vertigo. Vertigo symptoms can severely impact your daily life, limiting your ability to walk or even get out of bed safely. As a result, seeking treatment as soon as possible should be at the top of your to-do list.
Everyone’s experiences with vertigo can be different. Taking a quiz like the one below can help you pinpoint whether you have vertigo or not. In addition, personalized treatment plans like physical therapy can help you get the relief you need.
What is vertigo?
Vertigo specifically refers to the sensation of spinning, whether that be yourself or your surroundings. As a result of this feeling, vertigo can cause you to feel dizzy, nauseous and unstable. It is often caused by inner ear problems like infections or inflammation.
It can be easy to think of dizziness and vertigo as interchangeable terms. However, they do have some key differences. Dizziness may make you feel woozy and lightheaded and can be a symptom of vertigo. Meanwhile, vertigo specifically involves a spinning sensation.
Vertigo episodes are often triggered by head movements. As a result, you can especially experience vertigo episodes in situations in which your head bobs up and down, such as in a moving vehicle. Symptoms are also triggered in environments in which your eyes have trouble focusing or interpreting depth. This can be in crowded rooms, department stores or areas of bright color. Vertigo episodes generally last a few seconds or minutes. In severe cases, they can last a few hours or days.
You may be at a higher risk of experiencing vertigo symptoms if:
- You have osteoporosis.
- You are an older adult.
- You have high stress levels.
- You were diagnosed with an issue of your central nervous system.
Experiencing vertigo symptoms can be indicative of a larger medical condition. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is the most common cause of vertigo symptoms. It occurs when a calcium carbonate crystal flows into the wrong ear canal, triggering symptoms during certain head movements. If you experience vertigo episodes frequently, they may be linked to:
- Inner ear issues.
- Meniere’s disease.
- Stroke.
- Head injury.
A medical professional can use imaging tests like MRIs to help you trace the reasoning behind your vertigo. In addition, you can take a vertigo quiz like the one below to help you better understand your symptoms.
Take this quiz to find out if you have vertigo
If you’re concerned about having vertigo but aren’t sure if your symptoms fit within its definition, you can take this quiz to help. Depending on your specific symptoms, consider the following questions:
- Do you feel dizzy when getting out of bed, enough to feel like you are spinning or falling?
- Do you ever feel unsteady while standing or walking?
- Do you feel easily overwhelmed by crowds, colors, lights, sounds or smells?
- Do you often feel car sick or nauseous in a vehicle?
- Do you often see double images, or two of an object when looking at it?
- Do you often experience ringing in your ears?
- Do you sometimes feel like your ears are full or congested?
- Do you often have migraines?
- Have your eyes ever moved side to side uncontrollably, even for a few seconds?
If you answered yes to one or more of the questions in the above quiz, then you may have vertigo. However, to know for certain, you should speak to a medical professional such as a physical therapist. A physical therapist can evaluate your symptoms in the context of your medical history. They can also take into account your muscle strength, mobility and existing conditions to develop a personalized treatment plan.
How can physical therapy help treat vertigo symptoms?
You may have experienced several symptoms that are specific to vertigo, indicated in the above quiz. However, vertigo episodes don’t have to be part of your normal routine. Physical therapists can offer vestibular therapy to help you get back on your feet with less dizziness. During this specific therapy, physical therapists can work with you in a one-on-one setting to get to the bottom of your vertigo. Your treatment plan may include techniques like:
- Gait training exercises.
- Balance exercises.
- Strengthening exercises.
- Gaze stabilization exercises.
- Aquatic therapy.
Alliance PTP is ready to help you find top-notch PT for vertigo
Did you answer yes to several of the questions in the above vertigo quiz? Physical therapy can help. At Alliance Physical Therapy Partners, we’re proudly bringing together physical therapy practices across the country to help people get the high-quality PT they need.
Want to see a physical therapist in person? We can put you in touch with an Alliance PTP partner that’s close to you and that can help you address vertigo symptoms.
Not keen on in-person PT sessions or not close to an Alliance PTP partner? No worries. We also offer effective and affordable virtual physical therapy through our Agile Virtual Physical Therapy platform.
Come find the physical therapist who can help treat your vertigo.
Get Help at a Location Near You