Unreal spinning sensation of our own body or of the objects around us, in the context of an alteration of the ear or the nerve of the ear.
The most frequent causes include trauma, labyrinthitis, inflammation of the vestibular nerve, certain medications, compression of the vestibular nerve, otitis media, benign postural vertigo, Ménière's disease and Cogan's syndrome.
The most prominent symptom is a rotatory sensation which may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting, deafness of the ear, tinnitus, dizziness, frequent falls due to loss of balance and difficulty in focusing the vision of the eyes.
Diagnosis is made based on clinical history and physical examination, which should include a neurological and an ear examination.
Treatment is based on antivertiginous and antiemetic drugs to treat nausea and vomiting. It is advisable to rest and treat the triggering cause, if known.
- Joseph M Furman. Pathophysiology, etiology, and differential diagnosis of vertigo. UpToDate. Jun 03, 2015
- Kim JS, Zee DS. Clinical practice. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. N Engl J Med 2014; 370:1138.
- Baloh RW. Clinical practice. Vestibular neuritis. N Engl J Med 2003; 348:1027.
- Hoffer ME, Gottshall KR, Moore R, et al. Characterizing and treating dizziness after mild head trauma. Otol Neurotol 2004; 25:135.
- Mark F. Walker, Robert B. Daroff. Mareo y vértigo.Harrison. Principios de Medicina Interna. Volumen 1. 19º Edición. 148:151.
- Javier Chacón Martínez , Jorge Alberto Jiménez Antolín, José Antonio Garrido Robres. Mareos y vértigos en urgencias. Manual de protocolos y actuación en urgencias. Hospital Virgen de la Salud, Complejo Hospitalario de Toledo. Tercera edición. 2010. 545:552
