Dizziness Depot

Approximately one year ago, I embarked on an exploration of the most efficient and cost-effective methods for assessing patients experiencing acute dizziness. This investigation took the form of a comprehensive five-part blog series titled “Acute Vertigo: Could It Be A Stroke?” Within this series, I underscored a crucial point: the prevalent imaging techniques often employed in the Emergency Room setting

After more than 25 years of working with vestibular patients and hearing various unusual descriptions, I recently came across a term that caught my attention: “Flicker Vertigo.” Although it may be familiar to pilots, I had never encountered it before, despite spending my childhood Saturdays in the back seat of my father’s airplane during aerobatic stunts. Hmmmmm. Maybe that explains

Let’s spend a few weeks talking about meclizine. Most patients complaining of dizziness or vertigo have been given a prescription for meclizine at some point. For a medication that is so widely used, there is very little solid information or recent research to back this up. Meclizine goes by a few names; meclizine is the generic term, but it is

The most common peripheral vestibular disorder is the condition of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV), accounting for anywhere from 17-42% of all patients seen with symptoms of vertigo.1 The condition of BPPV causes brief episodes of vertigo provoked by a head movement or position change. Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) is typically described by location and type. For example, the

Treating Dizziness with Antivert: Research indicates that long-term use may not be the best solution By Alan L. Desmond, Au.D., CCC-A and R.Brian Collie, D.O., RPh Considering how frequently Antivert (Meclizine) is prescribed for dizziness, its effectiveness has been measured in remarkably few studies. While there is general agreement among specialists that vestibular compensation is inhibited by the use of

Editor’s note: This is Part 2 of an update of an article on the use of Meclizine for vertigo that first appeared in print in Advance for Audiologists in 2000. The Physicians Desk Reference lists adverse reactions for meclizine, noting that “Drowsiness, dry mouth and, on rare occasions, blurred vision have been reported.” But what about functional impact? Could meclizine

Polypharmacy refers to the act of taking multiple medications concurrently. While there is no universally accepted threshold, polypharmacy is generally defined as taking 4 or more prescription drugs daily. Taking several medications is not inherently problematic, but it introduces uncertainties. An old principle of prescribing holds that the likelihood of adverse reactions and inability to predict interactions rises as the

Diagnosing episodic dizziness can be challenging as most patients are asymptomatic when they arrive for examination. Episodes of dizziness can be broken down into two broad categories based on two variables: Triggered vs. Spontaneous episodes Episodes of less than five minutes duration or more than five minutes duration. Fortunately, these categories align in that most short duration dizziness is triggered,

Vitamin D is an essential nutrient, necessary for building and maintaining healthy bone structure by promoting calcium absorption in the body. Despite its importance, vitamin D is not found naturally in many foods. Also, with populations spending less time outdoors, vitamin D obtained naturally from sunlight is likely declining. As such, vitamin D deficiency is widespread with an estimated 1

Vestibular disorders are the most common reason for symptoms of dizziness regardless of the clinical setting. A five study average reveals that vestibular disorders account for around 45% of all dizziness and are much more common than cardiovascular or potentially life threatening neurologic causes for dizziness. Despite the magnitude of individuals suffering from vestibular type dizziness, these disorders are historically