There are many forms
This is a phrase heard quite often at the doctor's office – almost a third of all people older than 60 suffer from recurring vertigo or loss of balance. Thereby, vertigo symptoms come in many different forms: Some patients have the tendency to fall, others have been feeling dizzy for weeks – there are those who see black spots when standing up, while others talk about an inexplicable sudden "emptiness in their head" or a spinning sensation.
For doctors to be of any help, the characterization and categorization of vertigo symptoms is very important. There are several ways to better describe the type of vertigo/dizziness (rotational, postural and floating sensation (vertigo): how long does the vertigo attack last, triggering factors, and accompanying symptoms. On the basis of vertigo symptoms, a physician is able to distinguish "genuine" vertigo that results from a specific balance disorder from other types of vertigo that may have similar symptoms but do not originate from the balance system.
The types of vertigo give the doctor important hints where to look for the cause of the complaints.
Some important reference points for diagnosis are how long the vertigo attack lasts and the length of time between the attacks.
Vertigo attacks can occur without any obvious trigger - this is the case with e.g. Menière’s disease or certain cardiovascular problems or migraine.
Often patients not only suffer from vertigo itself but from additional symptoms as well: Certain accompanying symptoms are indicative of specific causes.
Important: Vertigo symptoms can have many causes and should always be discussed with a physician!
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