What is Vestibular Migraine? Causes, symptoms & treatment
Everyone has been familiar with the term migraine that is associated with headaches. A majority of the population has experienced migraine headaches once in a lifetime. But when talks go around Vestibular Migraine, it’s not always necessary for a patient to have headaches in traditional migraine forms.
Vestibular migraines are caused due to nervous system disorder that makes the person feel dizzy or woozy. The vestibular system is responsible for controlling hearing and regulating the balance of the body. Recurrence of sudden bouts of vertigo or dizziness makes it difficult for a person to lead a normal life.
Doctors call vestibular migraine by various names be it migrainous vertigo or migraine-associated vertigo.
If stats are to be checked, a large percentage of women are diagnosed with Vestibular migraine ranging between the age limit of 20 to 40 years when compared to men. Sudden strokes of dizziness that appears without any warning signs are one of the most common Vestibular Migraine symptoms experienced by patients of Vestibular Migraine. Apart from it, disruption in hearing ability, blurry vision and loss of equilibrium are some other Vestibular Migraine symptoms. Living with vestibular migraines is not an easy task as it seems to others. Sudden strokes of dizziness create obstacles in accomplishing daily tasks and simple activities. With the advancements in technology and medical science, we are still not completely sure about the underlying cause of such a condition completely. If we check the records, a number of Vestibular migraine cases remain undiagnosed. Vestibular Migraine symptoms get triggered due to various conditions like Hormonal fluctuations, foods, sleep disturbances, stress and weather changes which make it quite annoying for a person to live in a puzzle. It is advised to seek medical help immediately as soon as you start experiencing Vestibular Migraine symptoms. An expert neurologist will evaluate the condition closely and would suggest you with the best Vestibular Migraine treatment depending on the severity of the condition. He may prescribe you with a dose of certain medicines for vestibular migraine along with some exercises for vestibular migraine which should be practiced regularly at home for early recovery from such a condition. A little alteration in daily diet after seeking doctor’s advice will be an added benefit that will help in easing symptoms faster and naturally.
A brief overview of Vestibular Migraine Symptoms
When a patient is experiencing Vestibular Migraine, it’s not always necessary to have headaches like traditional migraine formats. Sudden strokes of dizziness are the major Vestibular migraine symptoms experienced by the patients suffering from the same. Vertigo signs can occur any time before, after or during migraine headaches. As soon as you step into the later stage of vestibular migraine, vertigo symptoms start showing up without any warning signs. It becomes difficult for a person to handle it, as turning the head at the slightest angle may sometimes trigger the condition. When a person feels dizzy or woozy due to vestibular migraines it may last from a few seconds to minutes to hours to days, depending on the severity of the condition. Apart from dizziness, Nausea and vomiting, Unsteadiness or lightheadedness, Balance problems or disequilibrium, Motion sickness where you may feel sick or dizzy when you move your head, eyes, or body are some of the common vestibular migraine symptoms. When a person is suffering from vestibular migraine he becomes sensitive to sound or light in some cases. It is advised to seek medical help immediately to get the condition treated on time with the best Vestibular Migraine treatment.
Some common Vestibular Migraine causes
If reports are to be believed, the accurate cause of vestibular migraine is yet not discovered. Currently, a lot of studies and research has been going on with rapid speed to identify the underlying vestibular migraine causes that lead to such a condition where patients experience dizzy spells without any headaches even after years.
Research is still under wraps, but abnormal ‘electric’ messages are widely believed to cause vestibular migraines in patients as it is responsible for widening the blood vessels present in and around the brain. Abnormal ‘electric’ messages do not only stop here, but it can also widen the vestibular artery in the inner ear.
The percentage of patients suffering from vestibular migraines is increasing with each passing year but the underlying cause of such an ailment is still not diagnosed completely. Vestibular migraines show a similar set of symptoms that other central nervous system disorders or vestibular system disorders even consist of. In such cases, it becomes even more necessary to seek medical advice before self-medicating.
Vestibular Migraine treatment
Your doctor will closely examine your condition and seek your complete medical history before suggesting any Vestibular Migraine treatment and prescribing medicine for vestibular migraine. He will ask about the frequency of vertigo spells and how long it lasts. He would suggest you with certain exercises for vestibular migraine which should be practiced regularly for faster recovery. A modification in dietary habits and adopting a healthy lifestyle helps in treating the condition. If the case is severe, your neurologist will suggest you with certain medicines for vestibular migraine. A well-balanced diet with a sufficient amount of sleep helps in alleviating vestibular migraine symptoms. Doctors generally advise reducing the intake of caffeine, salt & alcohol as it can trigger symptoms even further. Beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, SSRI’s and antiepileptic are some of the commonly prescribed medicines for vestibular migraines if the case becomes severe.
