As one ages, a person is confronted with many unpleasant symptoms, one of which is dizziness. Dizziness ( lat . - vertigo) - loss of body orientation in space. Unfortunately, not a single person is able to resist the changes in our body that occur together with the aging process, and the treatment of dizziness in older people becomes more relevant, even than a cold or flu. And the younger generation is often faced with this problem. More and more often, among other complaints, doctors hear: dizzy greatly.
Let's see what are the symptoms of dizziness, what is the reason for this ailment, how to get rid of it.
Causes
The function of maintaining balance is provided by the vestibular apparatus, which is located in the stony part of the temporal bone and in its structure resembles a labyrinth. Most often, it is disturbances in the operation of this device that cause dizziness in the elderly. The causes of these failures are poor blood supply to the labyrinth due to changes in the properties of blood, atherosclerotic plaques, and microthrombi. It is such problems in the body that cause these symptoms. Dizziness in this case is associated only with local disturbances in the operation of the device and is characterized as peripheral. There is still a central one - in this case, dizziness attacks are associated with brain damage, for example, if there are tumors, strokes.
Systemic and non-systemic dizziness
Also distinguish systemic and non-systemic dizziness.
- Irregular dizziness is caused by neurogenic disorders, including stress, overwork, various somatic diseases - arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus. In this case, sometimes it darkens in the eyes and dizzy.
- Systemic dizziness is associated with a malfunction in one of the systems of the vestibular apparatus, for example, the visual analyzer, and is felt as a body movement in space, moving objects.
Severe dizziness can cause elementary hunger. This is a separate situation. In this case, drug treatment of dizziness in the elderly is not required.
Dizziness ailments
- Ear diseases - acute and chronic otitis media, otosclerosis.
- Migraine - darkens in the eyes and dizzy an hour before the attack.
- Cerebellar diseases - tumors, degeneration of the structure.
- Neurological diseases - multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease.
- Oncological diseases of the brain - seizures develop gradually and increase with a change in the inclination of the head.
- Damage to the cervical spine - trauma, deforming osteosis.
- Seasickness.
- Neuropsychiatric disorders.
- Meniere's disease - the patient is not only dizzy and weak, but tinnitus and vomiting are also noted.
- Cervical osteochondrosis - darkens in the eyes and dizzy with sudden movements in the cervical spine, pain, limited movement are felt.
- Pre-lymphatic fistula - characterized by hearing loss, tinnitus, nausea, vomiting, dizziness.
- It gets dark in the eyes and dizzy - a common symptom with vertebrobasillar insufficiency. This ailment occurs with atherosclerotic lesions of large vessels, hypertension and discirculatory encephalopathy - very frequent "companions" of older people.
- Severe dizziness develops in acute cerebrovascular disorders - ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke of the brain stem and cerebellum. But that is not all. In neurological disorders, not only dizzy much, but also other neurological symptoms appear - tinnitus, "flies" in front of the eyes, nausea, vomiting, so treatment should begin with a complete collection of all symptoms.
- Pathological changes in the eye muscles - with frequent changes in the picture in front of the eyes, the muscle apparatus does not have time to focus.
Dizziness Medications
The list of drugs in which dizziness is a side effect is inexhaustible. These include:
- analgesics (painkillers);
- antianginal drugs;
- antihypertensives;
- beta blockers;
- diuretics;
- cardiac glycosides;
- antibiotics
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- antidepressants;
- tranquilizers;
- sleeping pills;
- anticonvulsants;
- A number of antibiotics-aminoglycosides — Streptomycin, Kanamycin, and Neomycin — have special eclipsing.
Research problem
Diagnosis and treatment of dizziness in the elderly is a rather time-consuming process. Therefore, there is a certain examination scheme for such a patient. It includes:
- Establishment of the type of dizziness.
- Finding out the causes of its occurrence.
- Clarification of neurological or ENT symptoms.
- Additional instrumental examination methods, depending on the pathology identified during physical examination and interrogation.
Medical history and external examination
At the very beginning of the examination, it is necessary to identify the very fact of dizziness. Elderly patients tend to take one symptom for another, and they put a different meaning in the concept of dizziness - nausea, blurred vision.
Of great importance is the neurological examination of the patient himself - to pay attention to the clear implementation of coordination tasks, to determine the state of reflexes. It is necessary to find out the nature of the development of the disease, the factors that provoke it. For example, a slow, gradual onset is more characteristic of dizziness of central genesis, and spontaneous and rapid onset is peripheral. Local disturbances (noise in the ear, hearing loss) are characteristic for peripheral dizziness, and symptoms of damage to the cortex and brain stem for the central one. Severe repeated vomiting without relief indicates vestibular pathological processes.
They carry out diagnostics in various positions of the body, this can also say a lot, for example, they ask the patient to lower his head to the side. If an increase or sudden onset of dizziness occurs during a change in the position of the head, this indicates that violations most likely arose in the work of the vestibular apparatus, and they are benign.
The patient is questioned about all the past inflammatory, autoimmune diseases, intoxications (drug, alcohol), head injuries. When conducting a neurological examination, much attention is paid to nystagmus.
Nystagmus is the involuntary fluctuation of the eyeballs of high frequency. Check for spontaneous nystagmus - when looking directly in front of you, then when moving it to the side (caused by the look of nystagmus). A Hallpike test is performed - a patient with open eyes sits on a couch, his head is turned 45 degrees to the right. Supporting the patient by the shoulders, they are asked to quickly lower themselves to the back so that the head hangs freely from the edge of the couch. Then they do the same with the head turned in the other direction, that is, to the left.
ENT examination consists of examining the external auditory canal, eardrum, detecting sulfur plugs, acute and chronic infections, and trauma.
Laboratory and instrumental diagnostics
CT and MRI are performed to exclude neoplasms, demyelinating processes, pay attention to the presence of structural changes, congenital or acquired. If new or chronic fractures are suspected, a X-ray of the bones of the skull is performed.
If there is a suspicion of vascular disorders, they are sent for ultrasound dopplerography of the main vessels of the head and neck.
A general blood test is performed to exclude infectious processes, if a pathogen is detected, antibodies to it are determined.
Tonal audiometry is performed if the patient has concomitant hearing impairment. The examinee is offered to drink "Glycerol", which allows you to detect improved perception of low frequencies and improves speech perception. If this symptom is positive, then this indicates Meniere's disease, a frequent sign of which are dizziness.
Dizziness, which is combined with hypochondria, apathy, unreasonable pain, a decrease in mental abilities, indicates the presence of a neurological or psychiatric disease.
Dizziness in old age. Treatment
Drug therapy is prescribed by a specialist after a full examination and on the basis of factors that were identified during the examination of the patient. It completely depends on the cause of this ailment. The treatment of dizziness in the elderly is a laborious process.
An important role is played by the appointment of drugs that tone the vascular bed and prevent the occurrence of labyrinth ischemia, improve trophism and tissue metabolism (Cavinton, Memoplant, Sermion). "Vazobral" improves blood circulation in the brain, reduces the permeability of the vascular walls and increases the resistance of brain tissue to oxygen deficiency. It is worthwhile to carefully select drugs for dizziness in old age.
Among modern drugs, drugs based on betagestin dihydrochloride are considered to be the most effective. These include medications "Betaserk", "Betavirin", "Vestibo", "Tagista". But they will be ineffective if they are not prescribed together with drugs that affect the revealed mechanisms of dizziness and balance disorders. Among the frequently prescribed medications are medicines to treat depressive and anxiety disorders.
Doctors choose the means of symptomatic therapy, which are aimed at correcting existing somatic, orthopedic or neurological pathologies that contributed to the development of dizziness. So, for example, for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, levodopa preparations are used, when atrial fibrillation is detected, the patient needs to take appropriate antiarrhythmic drugs, and if oncological processes are detected, the patient is referred to the oncologist for further examination and treatment already in the corresponding oncology department.
If the patient’s condition allows and no gross violations in the body’s work are revealed, it is very useful to do therapeutic exercises, walks in the fresh air should be carried out more often if possible, and most importantly, to monitor if the symptoms reappeared. Dizziness may return.
Folk therapy
Together with the drugs prescribed by the attending physician, you can use traditional medicine methods. When it gets dark in my eyes and dizzy, gifts of nature will help.
Mixture of herbs
For the treatment of dizziness, you can also use chamomile flowers, lemon balm flowers and valerian root in equal proportions. Brew a tablespoon of this composition with hot water in two glasses. Insist the remedy one night, and in the morning add two teaspoons of honey and the same amount of apple cider vinegar. Take the medicine on an empty stomach about half an hour before a meal twice a day. The duration of such therapy is two weeks.
Ginger
Ginger root is ground to a powder state and in this state it is taken orally by a quarter of a teaspoon three times a day, washed down with warm water. If your head is spinning and weakness prevents you from working, then this is just the best option, because ginger root tones and improves performance.
Hawthorn
The grass of hawthorn is widely used to treat problems associated with vascular diseases, the drug perfectly removes spasm from the muscles of the vessels and tones. To prepare the medicine, it is necessary to collect inflorescences in the amount of four tablespoons, grind them to a powder state and pour a liter of boiling water. Insist for fifteen minutes, take three times a day before meals.
Garlic
Everyone knows the healing effects of garlic. The substances that make up its composition have antimicrobial, antiviral and tonic properties. It is better to use garlic in combination with ginger. To do this, chop the garlic in a garlic press, ginger grate, combine these two components and mix thoroughly. To use inside on a teaspoon, it can be added to food as seasoning.
Conclusion
If you experience symptoms of dizziness, you should immediately consult a doctor to exclude serious pathologies. Self-medication for dizziness in the elderly is not recommended in order to avoid the progression of the disease. Consultation of a neurologist, otorhinolaryngologist, therapist is required. Be healthy!