Vertigo and Dizziness

Vertigo and dizziness are extremely common, and cause a great deal of worry and distress. An estimated 17% of the population experiences dizziness, while up to 14% of people stop work because of imbalance. In older people, symptoms are a leading causse of falls, often leading to injury and complications. Although often regarded as conditions in their own right, vertigo and dizziness may indicate one of several balance disorders, often linked with ear function, and the underlying cause should always be investigated. This book by a consultant ENT surgeon examines the common and more unusual forms of balance disorders and their treatment.

Topics include

• Brief anatomy and neurophysiology of the balance system
• Defining vertigo (a sensation that the room is spinning around you.)
• Defining dizziness (anything from feeling light-headed to feeling you are losing your balance or fainting.)
• Other symptoms such as nausea, loss of appetite, tinnitus, hearing loss, blurred vision, confusion, raised temperature and fever.
• Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) – where certain head movements trigger vertigo
• Labyrinthitis - infection or inflammation of the inner ear
• Ménière's disease - vertigo, hearing loss, tinnitus (a ringing or buzzing in the ear)
• Other disorders, eg vestibular neuronitis or inflammation of the vestibular nerve
• Newly recognised conditions: eg vestibular migraine
• Newer investigations and treatments such as radiology, electrophysiology and inner ear drug injections
• Ear surgery and neurosurgery for balance
• Implants
• Ageing, falls and rehabilitation