Possible Causes of Dizziness and Its Treatment- A Saga with Vertigo Begins

I have this on-going saga with dizziness for more than one month now. It’s so alarming and at the same time annoying because I have been experiencing it for more than one month now. It all started during one of our badminton game last month. One second I’m full of energy, then next second the world started to twirl and I felt weak and I almost fainted. I just shrugged it off because the condition seems tolerable. After the game, the feeling of dizziness never left me until now. So I decided to see a doctor for an advice and medication.

The doctor explained to me that there are a lot of possible reasons for dizziness. They are the following:

1. Eye problems
2. Brain tumor
3. Vertigo
4. Ear Infections

I bet there are still a lot of reasons why a person feel dizzy other than what I have mentioned above. The doctor asked me about high blood and diabetes, I guess these could also trigger the feeling of dizziness.

The doctor checked my blood pressure, my body temperature, etc. Everything is normal. Afraid as I am, I still confronted the doctor if this is a brain tumor or not. She laughed at me and she said that it’s unlikely a brain tumor because it’s too serious condition. Should I have a brain tumor, I don’t look as awesome and as handsome as I am now (well, that is at least according to my mother. LOL). It’s a great relief knowing that this is not a serious condition at all, at least on my case. I was advised to see an ophthalmologist as this could be an eye problem since I have a past relationship with eyeglass. The charming and pretty and young ophthalmologist checked my eye and everything seems normal. She referred me to another doctor for further checking. The doctor found a mild infection on my left ear. Since it is mild, it could never be serious but probably the reason of dizziness. After a series of test and check up, the diagnosis is VERTIGO. So I have a vertigo? And what is vertigo anyway? The doctor explained to me that it is a feeling of fainting or dizziness. I asked him if this is a life threatening condition or not. Again, the smile and the laugh of the doctor make me feel idiot on the spot, but I’d rather ask and look idiot for 30 seconds than stay ignorant for the rest of my life. The pretty ophthalmologist told me that she also has a vertigo. Ironically, I felt happy knowing that vertigo could be just a common sickness like migraine perhaps or cough or flu.

The doctor suggested me to do two things to make the dizziness go away.

1. Take the prescribed medicine

The doctor prescribed a medicine called Betahistine and I have to take it twice a day. This is a medicine for fainting. If you feel like fainting, you can take this but I don’t think you can buy this in the pharmacy without doctor’s prescription. It costs P59.25 per tablet.

 

This is how the tablet looks like:

 

2. Do the Vertigo Exercise three times a day

The vertigo exercise is not the usual jogging or stretching. In the hospital room, the doctor demonstrated the exercise and he demanded I should do this three times a day everyday. This is how you do it and I think this is safe to do:

1.       Sit straight on your bed

2.       Move your head 30 degrees to the left from the center. Make sure your body is still facing in front

3.       Slowly, move your body into a lying position to the right side of your body while your head is facing 30 degrees from the center

4.       After 10 seconds, slowly lift your body back into the sitting position

5.       Repeat procedure 2 to 4 for the opposite side

6.       Do this over and over again

Aside from the medication and the exercise, the doctor also advised me not to eat salty foods and do activities that could worsen the ear condition like diving (which is bad since we are planning to dive at the end of this month for summer outing, sigh).

If you feel dizzy with fainting and vomiting, I guess you really have to consult a doctor. Otherwise, it could just be a vertigo. It is still recommended to seek advice from the expert.