Dizziness greatly complicates a person’s life. Many people are familiar with this unpleasant feeling of loss of balance and instability, when it seems that the soil is leaving under the feet. Often this leads to a fall and various injuries. In medicine, this symptom is called vertigo. In most cases, doctors diagnose patients with unsystematic dizziness. What it is? And how to get rid of this type of vertigo?
What it is
Dizziness of a non-systemic nature is caused by physiological or psychoemotional causes. It is otherwise called brides vertigo. In the inner ear of a person is a special organ of balance - the vestibular apparatus. He is responsible for the stability of the body. If vertigo is non-systemic in nature, then it has nothing to do with the pathologies of the inner ear. The vestibular system remains normal. However, people often feel dizzy.
Vertigo alone is not considered a disease. It can only be a symptom of various pathologies or a sign of exposure to the body of various adverse factors.
The difference from the systemic form of vertigo
What is the difference between non-systemic vertigo and systemic? If vertigo is systemic in nature, then it is associated with various lesions of the vestibular analyzer. With non-systemic vertigo, the diagnosis does not reveal pathologies of the equilibrium organ.
Different types of dizziness differ in manifestations. With a systemic form, a person complains of the following symptoms:
- There is a false sensation of rotation of surrounding objects.
- There is a sense of circular motion of your own body.
Such manifestations are noted in Meniere's disease, labyrinthitis and other lesions of the inner ear.
Dizziness of a non-systemic nature is never accompanied by a sense of rotation and movement. For this reason, it is called false vertigo. However, an attack of this condition is tolerated quite difficult. Patients complain of the following manifestations:
- There is weakness and nausea, as before fainting.
- There is a feeling of instability and loss of balance.
- The patient experiences anxiety and a strong fear of falling.
- It darkens in a person’s eyes.
- Sometimes there is a feeling of veil in front of the eyes and a feeling of intoxication.
In medical practice, non-systemic types of vertigo are diagnosed much more often than pathologies of the equilibrium organ.
Types of Bride Vertigo
Symptoms and treatment of unsystematic dizziness depend on its form. There are several varieties of brides vertigo:
- Swoon. In this case, a state close to fainting sets in, a person is afraid to lose consciousness. A variety of causes can lead to lipothymia, which we will consider later.
- Psychogenic form. Appears against the backdrop of psychoemotional experiences.
- Mixed form. In this case, vertigo is one of the symptoms of pathologies of the spine and central nervous system.
Causes
The causes of unsystematic dizziness will depend on the type of imbalance.
The most common case of vertigo is lipothymia (fainting condition). It can have both physiological and pathological causes. This condition may occur under the influence of the following factors:
- Orthostatic collapse. In this condition, a person experiences a loss of balance when changing the position of the body. This is due to a temporary drop in blood pressure. This symptom is often noted in older people. Orthostatic collapse is also a side effect of many drugs.
- Pregnancy Usually dizziness appears in the first three months. It is associated with hormonal changes in the body.
- Cerebrovascular disease. Diseases such as atherosclerosis are accompanied by cerebrovascular accident. As a result, the nutrition of the brain is sharply disturbed and imbalances occur.
- Anemia With a low content of hemoglobin and red blood cells in the blood, oxygen delivery to the brain is also disrupted.
- Diabetes mellitus. Due to improper insulin administration, diabetics may experience hypoglycemia - a drop in glucose levels. This condition is accompanied by a serious deterioration in well-being and dizziness.
- Menopause. During menopause, a woman's well-being often worsens due to hormonal changes. Some patients have imbalances with a feeling of lightheadedness.
- Intoxication. Irregular dizziness with poisoning is a fairly common occurrence. It occurs during intoxication with various chemicals, stale food and alcohol. In this case, vertigo is often accompanied by nausea and vomiting. Dizziness with infectious diseases has the same etiology. It is caused by poisoning the body with bacterial and viral toxins.
Another common form of vertigo is associated with psychoemotional factors. The following circumstances can provoke an attack of dizziness:
- anxiety conditions;
- stress
- Depression
- neurocirculatory dystonia, accompanied by panic attacks.
In such cases, it is sometimes very difficult to identify the etiology of unsystematic dizziness. After all, the examination does not reveal any organic pathologies in the patient.
There is also a vertigo with mixed symptoms. It is often observed in patients with osteochondrosis and other degenerative diseases of the spine. Dizziness is accompanied by a variety of painful manifestations. Especially often this vertigo is observed with pathology of the cervical spine.
Another reason for this type of dizziness is Arnold-Chiari syndrome - a congenital pathology of the cerebellum. This body is responsible for coordination of movements and balance. Due to abnormal development of the bones of the skull, the cerebellum is compressed. As a result, the patient develops persistent vertigo.
Fainting conditions
Lipothymia is often accompanied by a drop in blood pressure. In this case, the patient has the following symptoms of unsystematic dizziness:
- nausea;
- sharp weakness;
- sweating
- darkening in the eyes;
- lightheadedness;
- feeling of impending loss of consciousness;
- blanching of the skin;
- noise in ears;
- impaired lateral vision;
- loss of balance.
If the attack is associated with orthostatic collapse, then the patient's condition quickly normalizes. However, if dizziness is caused by pathological reasons, then such conditions can occur for a long time.
Vertigo of psychogenic nature
Often the patient has attacks of vertigo every day. Irregular dizziness can bother a person for many months and even years. In this case, a neurological examination does not reveal any neurological or vascular pathology in the patient. In these cases, an imbalance usually has a psychogenic etiology.
A vertigo attack proceeds as a panic attack. It is accompanied by the following manifestations:
- a feeling of intense anxiety and fear;
- sweating;
- discomfort in the heart;
- tachycardia;
- difficulty breathing
- loss of stability;
- nausea
- shortness of breath.
In patients with neurocirculatory dystonia, such attacks may not occur constantly, but only under certain circumstances, for example, with severe excitement or fear. In people suffering from various phobias, psychogenic dizziness may appear when standing at height or in open space.
Dizziness with mixed symptoms
With osteochondrosis, dizziness is usually combined with pain in the neck and head. The patient's gait becomes uncertain and unstable. Typically, vertigo occurs only during movement and disappears at rest.
With Arnold-Chiari syndrome, vertigo is accompanied by pain in the back of the head, blurred vision, impaired coordination of movements and ringing in the ears.
How dangerous is it
Is unsystematic dizziness dangerous? In some cases, this symptom can signal a serious problem in the body. As already mentioned, vertigo may indicate problems with the spine, central nervous system, and blood vessels. And such pathologies require immediate and timely treatment. Therefore, imbalance in no case can not be ignored. Vertigo should be a good reason to see a doctor.
If we consider dizziness as a separate phenomenon, then it often leads to falls. There is always a risk of injury.
In addition, the feeling of instability negatively affects the mental state and quality of life of the patient. Many people with imbalances are anxious and often afraid to go out for walks.
Diagnostics
How to detect unsystematic dizziness? First of all, it is necessary to separate this pathology from the vestibular form of vertigo. It is necessary to tell the neuropathologist in detail about their feelings during an attack of dizziness. It is important for a specialist to know whether vertigo is accompanied by a sense of rotation of surrounding objects and their own body. It is this symptom that makes it possible to differentiate the vestibular pathology from the brides.
However, the patient is not always able to adequately assess his feelings during the attack. Indeed, at this moment he experiences a sense of fear and anxiety. Therefore, in neurology, there are special techniques that allow you to determine the nature of dizziness. The doctor may suggest that the patient undergo the following tests:
- Finger-nasal test. The patient is offered to close his eyes, stretch out his hands and touch the tip of the nose with his index finger. With vertigo, the patient loses balance during the test.
- Dicks-Hallpike sample. The patient sits on a chair, straightening his back. The doctor turns the patient's head, and then offers him to lie down quickly. If dizziness and trembling of the sclera appear at the same time, then this symptom indicates vestibular disorders.
Additionally prescribed x-ray of the spine, dopplerography of the cerebral and cervical vessels, MRI and CT of the brain, electroencephalogram. This helps to identify neurological pathology.
Drug therapy
The choice of treatment for unsystematic dizziness depends on the etiology of this symptom. If vertigo is caused by pathologies of the brain, cerebral vessels or spine, then it is necessary to conduct therapy of the underlying disease.
To stop dizziness, doctors also provide symptomatic treatment. The following groups of drugs are prescribed:
- Nootropic drugs: Piracetam, Cinnarizine, Phezam, Cavinton, Phenibut. These drugs improve cerebral circulation and brain nutrition.
- Sedatives and antidepressants: Seduxen, Phenazepam, Amitriptyline. Such drugs are useful for dizziness caused by anxiety and stress.
- Antihistamines: Pipolfen, Dramina, Diphenhydramine. They reduce nausea and have calming properties.
- Antiemetics: Ondansetron, Motilak. Stop nausea and vomiting during an attack.
It usually responds well to the symptomatic treatment of vertigo of psychogenic origin. In other cases, it is possible to completely get rid of dizziness only after eliminating its cause.
Exercise complex
As already mentioned, this type of vertigo is not associated with pathologies of the equilibrium organ. However, doctors recommend performing exercises to train the vestibular analyzer. This will help reduce the unpleasant manifestations of dizziness.
It is useful to regularly perform the following exercises:
- head and body turns;
- slopes
- revolutions around you;
- swing on a swing;
- breathing exercises.
It is important to remember that before conducting vestibular gymnastics, you should consult your doctor. For elderly patients with vascular diseases, exercises can only be performed sparingly. The intensity of classes should be increased gradually, listening to your well-being.
Folk remedies
Can I get rid of dizziness with home remedies? It is impossible to fully rely on traditional medicine in this case. However, home prescriptions can complement drug therapy:
- Tea with lemon balm. You need to take a tablespoon of chopped herbs and place it in a glass with boiling water. Then the drink is insisted for 15-20 minutes. It helps to improve blood circulation in the vessels of the brain and reduce headache. With the onset of dizziness, you need to slowly drink a glass of such tea.
- Massage with oils. You need to take camphor (100 ml), fir (30 ml) and juniper oil (10 ml) and mix well. This mixture is applied to the head area and triturated.
- A drink of honey and apple cider vinegar. 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon of honey are dissolved in a glass of boiling water. This remedy should be drunk in the morning or before meals. It not only helps with dizziness, but also lowers cholesterol.
Such remedies are especially useful in the psychogenic form of vertigo. They help calm the nervous system and eliminate anxiety.
Prevention
How to prevent dizziness attacks? Neurologists advise to observe the following recommendations:
- Periodically perform gymnastics to balance workout.
- Avoid exposure to toxins and alcohol.
- Heal vascular and neurological pathologies in time.
- With emotional lability, take sedatives and visit a psychotherapist.
- Regularly undergo preventive examinations by a neurologist.
Compliance with these measures will help to avoid diseases accompanied by such an unpleasant phenomenon as dizziness.