Dizziness was at least once in a person’s life. In some cases, severe discomfort can provoke a simple turn of the head. Such a pathology is quite common and reports the presence of chronic diseases of the cardiovascular system, problems with the spine or neurological diagnoses. A full examination should be done. Severe dizziness at normal pressure cannot be left without due attention.
List of Common Reasons
An accurate diagnosis can only be made by a neurologist. Among the most common causes of dizziness with tilting the head are the following:
- The defeat of the vestibular apparatus.
- Meniere's disease.
- Vertigo: true dizziness.
- Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
- Vegetovascular dystonia.
- Epilepsy and brain tumors.
- Atherosclerosis of blood vessels.
- Multiple sclerosis.
The clinical picture characteristic of these diseases and an approximate treatment plan are described below. In some cases, taking drugs is not enough - the patient has to radically change his lifestyle.
The defeat of the vestibular apparatus
Similar pathologies develop relatively rarely. If the cause of dizziness is a violation of the vestibular apparatus, then the patient will notice the following symptoms:
- darkening in the eyes;
- loss of consciousness and fainting;
- ringing, tinnitus;
- in some cases, the attack is accompanied by visual and hearing impairment;
- dizziness during sharp turns or rotations of the head;
- severe nausea, vomiting.
Very often, the defeat of the vestibular apparatus develops on long trips, on sailing ships, in trains, during flights. In rare cases, pathology can be caused by malfunctions of the apparatus of the inner middle ear, in which case we are talking about a chronic form of the disease.
Meniere's disease
The condition is characterized primarily by dizziness with tilting the head. Nausea in Meniere's disease is unusual. The disease develops most often in men from forty to sixty years old.
Dizziness in Meniere's disease occurs as a result of a strong increase in fluid pressure in the inner ear. The causes of this condition are not fully understood, but among the main ones it is worth mentioning vascular disorders, previous infections and inflammatory diseases of the inner ear, and head injuries.
Therapist is a neuropathologist. In order to mitigate the manifestations of Meniere's disease, most often a course of vasodilator drugs is required.
Vertigo: true dizziness
Vertigo is the name given to classical dizziness in medical practice. It can occur as a result of sharp head movements and after performing heavy physical exercises. In people with a healthy vestibular apparatus, vertigo does not occur. For treatment, vasodilator drugs, sometimes nootropics, are most often used. If dizziness is accompanied by convulsive attacks, nausea, vomiting, normotimics are prescribed.
Vertigo is often triggered by psychosomatic causes. In this case, the help of a neurologist will be ineffective, a consultation with a psychiatrist is necessary.
If vertigo is provoked by a violation of blood circulation in the inner ear, then in addition to dizziness attacks, nausea and impaired coordination will follow the patient. It can often fall, lose balance, “collect” corners and jambs, and poorly navigate in space. In some cases, this pathology will remain for life. But more often it is successfully corrected by vasodilator drugs. There are many drugs at various prices. Instructions for use with Cavinton (reviews of analogues are also positive) reports that the drug is effective for vertigo. Its cost is about one hundred rubles per package. There are analogues at a higher or cheaper cost ("Vinpocetine", "Cinnarizine", "Actovegin").
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
Common pathology. It is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- problems with vision and hearing (myopia, astigmatism due to pinching of the optic nerve, hearing loss may develop);
- pain in the shoulder girdle;
- dizziness with tilting the head;
- classical migraine with and without aura;
- dizziness and loss of consciousness after physical stress;
- anxiety, insomnia, unmotivated aggression;
- cerebrovascular accident (expressed in problems with the balance of psychological state);
- pain in the neck, neck, temples of a sharp, paroxysmal nature.
The following methods are effective for the treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine:
- gymnastics (with dizziness, each exercise should be performed carefully and without jerking);
- physiotherapy: SMT, UHF, magnetotherapy, electrophoresis;
- injections of pyridoxine and thiamine preparations (Combilipen);
- rejection of bad habits.
In some cases, a course of vasodilator drugs is advisable. Pharmacology offers a lot of drugs for vessels that are trapped in the vertebrae at various prices. Instructions for use with "Cavinton" (reviews of analogues are also positive) reports that in some cases it is able to restore cerebral blood flow disturbed by pinching of the vertebrae.
Vegetative dystonia
Another disease, which is characterized by a problem with blood vessels. But if osteochondrosis, vertigo, and a malfunction of the vestibular apparatus are characterized by problems with the vessels of the brain, then the vascular system of the whole body suffers with VVD.
Dizziness when the head is tilted down, sharply to the side or when tilting back, which may be accompanied by acute pain in the temples, is most likely a manifestation of VVD. For a more accurate diagnosis, you should contact a neurologist. In some cases, MRI of the vessels is required. There are many drugs for the treatment of manifestations of VVD - these are nootropics, vasodilator drugs, normotimics. In some cases, cardiological preparations may be required.
Epilepsy as a cause of dizziness
Epilepsy is often associated with convulsive seizures. This is not entirely true. Attacks can be so minimal that the electrical impulses of the brain do not make themselves felt or do not manifest themselves on a physical level. Epilepsy is a common cause of dizziness when you tilt your head.
For an accurate diagnosis, it is necessary to go through an EEG. This is a painless study of the electrical activity of the brain, which will reveal the presence of epi-activity. The sooner a person finds out that he has such a diagnosis, the more effective the measures will be to prevent the worsening of epileptic seizures.
Patients have a logical question: what medicines will help, what to take? Dizziness with tilting the head, provoked by epilepsy, is not treated with any one medicine. Complex therapy is needed. The total duration, dosage and name of the drugs are determined by the attending physician, based on the patient's history.
Multiple sclerosis
This neurological disorder usually occurs in elderly patients. It is characterized by the development of persistent inflammation in the brain and the destruction of the membranes of nerve cells.
Patients with multiple sclerosis experience the following problems:
- memory impairment;
- vision and hearing problems;
- muscle tone disorders;
- impaired muscle response to brain commands;
- dizziness with head tilts;
- trembling and weakness in the arms and legs;
- frequent sensation of cold, despite the normal temperature in the room;
- numbness of certain parts of the body.
This is a serious pathology. Multiple sclerosis requires complex treatment. One or two courses of taking vasodilator drugs can not do here. Most likely, the patient will need expensive therapy for the rest of his life so that he can maintain a decent lifestyle and not lose cognitive abilities.
Where to go
What are the options for a patient who often feels very dizzy when moving his head?
- Contact a budget medical institution. In this case, you can get free expert advice and not pay a dime for research (MRI, CT, EEG). The insurance company pays for everything, the seal of which is on the patient’s policy. There is a significant minus - in all budgetary institutions, as a rule, there are large queues. You may have to wait several months for your MRI scan.
- Contacting private diagnostic centers involves consulting and research for money. In this case, you can save a lot of time and nerves, not stand in the queues for many hours and get competent advice. The patient decides where to go and whether to pay extra for identical research.
Diagnostic Methods Used
Most often, with complaints of migraine, dizziness, loss of consciousness, an MRI is necessary. A research method called magnetic resonance imaging allows you to diagnose vascular pathologies, craniocerebral injuries, the condition of soft tissues, the stage of osteochondrosis, multiple sclerosis and many other pathologies. MRI is completely painless: the patient is immersed in a special capsule, the equipment inside which allows you to "enlighten" his insides.
Computed tomography is performed in a similar way and allows you to evaluate the condition of bone tissue. It is performed mainly when there is a suspicion of pathological processes in the vertebrae, cartilage.
EEG (electroencephalogram) allows you to assess the quality and uniformity of the electrical impulses of the brain.