As an upper cervical chiropractor in Farmington Hill, MI, Dr. Christopher Perkins is accustomed to hearing patients use vertigo and dizziness interchangeably to describe their symptoms. However, we’d like to emphasize that they are quite different from each other. Knowing how to distinguish these two can help you get a better diagnosis and prognosis. Let’s learn more about these two conditions in the discussion below.

Vertigo and Dizziness: Similarities and Differences

Essentially, dizziness is more like a general term used to describe the feeling of lightheadedness and unsteadiness. It could also come with other symptoms such as:

• False sense of motion or vertigo attacks
• Disequilibrium, otherwise known as  feeling unsteady or losing control of balance
• Feeling spaced out and disoriented

To know whether you’re experiencing dizziness or vertigo, we’ll need to take a closer look at the critical distinguishing factors between the two conditions. First of all, vertigo attacks cause a spinning sensation. It makes you feel like you or your surroundings are in motion even when you’re seated perfectly or standing quietly by the corner. The spinning feeling can last for a few minutes but may extend for hours, depending on how effective the methods are for relief.  

The spinning feeling is quite comparable to when you’re sitting on a spinning Merry-Go-Round. As a child, you might find this thrilling and fun. However, as a full-grown adult, this experience could get you into trouble, especially when you need to be running around to do chores or office work. It could also increase your risk of injuries or accidents.  

Here are other vertigo symptoms that rarely occurs when you’re merely feeling dizzy: 

• Vomiting or nausea
• Difficulty walking 
• Profuse and unexplainable sweating
• Unwanted eye movements or nystagmus 

To learn more about the connection between head and neck injuries and vertigo, download our complimentary e-book by clicking the image below.

What Can Potentially Trigger Dizziness and Vertigo?

Often, patients see a neck chiropractor in Farmington Hill, MI, because of vertigo and dizziness. That’s because recent studies have established a strong link between the two symptoms and the neck’s bone alignment. We help patients fix the neck bone alignment to initiate healing of the body and reduce the symptoms’ intensity. 

However, besides neck alignment, there may be other potential causes of your spinning or dizzying sensations. For example, you’re likely to feel dizzy or lightheaded when you have other existing health conditions. It can also occur when your blood sugar drops or if you have hormonal problems. 

As for vertigo, it’s mostly triggered by the following:

• Meniere’s Disease  

It’s a condition caused by an abnormal buildup of fluid in the ears. Along with vertigo attacks, it can also cause hearing problems such as tinnitus and ear congestion.

• BPPV or Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo

When calcium crystals inside the ears migrate to a place that they shouldn’t be in, your brain sends the wrong signals. It makes you think that you’re moving or spinning even when you’re not. 

• Vestibular neuriritis or labyrinthitis

Both types of ear infection can trigger severe vertigo attacks. They affect the vestibular nerve, which plays a critical part in perceiving movement and maintaining balance. Typically, the symptoms go away once the infection clears.   

• Vestibular migraines 

It’s one of the leading reasons for a visit to an upper cervical chiropractor in Farmington Hill, MI. It’s essentially a type of migraine accompanied by dizziness, vertigo, and common symptoms of migraines like a visual aura and sensory sensitivity.  

Sense of Balance and Your Vertigo Attacks

Your brain’s ability to detect changes in your head’s position and balance plays a significant role in the severity of your vertigo episodes or dizziness. Unfortunately, you experience false movements because of problems with body systems in charge of maintaining balance, such as: 

• Inner ear - It contains the vestibular system, a group of tiny structures that can perceive motion or position changes.
• Vestibular nerve – This particular nerve transmits signals from your inner ear, allowing your brain to perceive the movement or orientation of your head. 
• Brainstem  - Think of it as your body’s information superhighway. It transmits signals to and from your brain.
• Cerebellum – The part of your brain which processes signals from your motory senses. It also coordinates voluntary movements like balance and posture.  

If any of these four body systems fail to work correctly, you experience false motion or vertigo episodes. You might also experience other debilitating symptoms such as ringing in the ears and fluctuating loss of hearing. 

Our Reliable Chiropractor in Farmington Hill, MI Can Help

Studies show the strong potential of upper cervical chiropractic in providing relief to even the most frustrating vertigo and dizziness symptoms. By going to a neck chiropractor in Farmington Hill, MI, you can find out if you have bone misalignments. If your C1 or C2 cervical bones show even the slightest misalignment, your brainstem could get irritated, causing it to send the wrong signals about your body’s orientation and movement. The brain gets confused, causing you to feel a spinning sensation or lightheadedness. 

Here at Premier Family Wellness and Spinal Care, you get to meet an upper cervical chiropractor in Farmington Hill, MI, who can help you restore your bone’s normal alignment. Dr. Perkins uses a gentle method to ease your bones back in their place and encourage natural and gradual healing. With our help, you can potentially resolve your symptoms like vertigo and dizziness. Soon enough, you won’t have to worry about such symptoms when you’re doing activities like riding a bike, going on a road trip, or attending to household chores.  

Get in touch with us today to book a consultation. You may reach us via our online contact form or directly through 248-478-6203. 

To schedule a consultation with Dr. Perkins, call 248-780-8864 or just click the button below area

If you are outside of the local area you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.