Vertigo, commonly known as “the spins” is a condition where a person loses their sense of balance, so the world seems to spin around them, and “gravity” seems to misbehave. Most people have experienced very temporary vertigo by playing the childhood game of spin-till-you’re-dizzy. Once you stop – that’s the most common feeling of vertigo. In the case of the kid game, it only lasts about a minute at most. When you have one of the many medical conditions that can cause vertigo, it can last for hours, days, weeks, and in some cases even months. In that case, it’s definitely not a game anymore.
As it turns out, several conditions related to hearing loss can also induce “attacks” of vertigo. This makes some sense, as the main part of our balance system is located in the inner ear, and hence, things which affect our ears can also affect our balance.
I started having occasional attacks of severe vertigo about 2-1/2 years ago. At the time, I had no idea it was related to my hearing, as I’d been nearly deaf on my right side for most of my life (I’m 48). My first thought was that I’d had food poisoning, the details of why I need not explain beyond saying that protracted vertigo (more than a few minutes) can make a person quite nauseous indeed. After having several attacks over the course of a month, however, I realized that something much more “systemic” was going on, so I made an appointment with my family doctor. He immediately referred me to an ENT, knowing that vertigo is most commonly related to conditions of the ear.
The ENT didn’t waste any time diagnosing me with Meniere’s Syndrome, a condition of unknown origin in which sporadic/gradual hearing loss is accompanied by bouts of vertigo, tinnitus (“ringing”, which I’ve always had in my right) and a feeling of “pressure” in the ear(s).
I’ve characterized my vertigo symptoms as “a dagger held over my head.” Attacks come out of the blue, from nowhere. There’s usually very little warning (though I’m fortunate that I don’t suffer “drop” attacks, as some do – in which the attack is so sudden, the person literally falls over, or “drops”).
Nausea aside (quite debilitating in itself), sometimes when my “moderate” attacks last awhile, and I can “hold my cookies” as they say, my symptom takes the form of the “Drunken Sailor”. I can’t hope to walk a straight line un-aided, and walls become a very important navigation resource (using hands to hold me up). When people ask me about it (say, at work – and they know I have the condition; I’ve made very sure of it), I tell them it looks worse than it is (not lethal), and it feels worse than it looks.
Because I’m often enough in public places when I have an attack, I do wonder sometimes how people are perceiving me in my struggle to stay upright and functional (wish I could “choose” to have all my attacks at home!) Do they actually assume I’m drunk or drugged out (before I had this condition, that would have been my first assumption)? The issue with vertigo is the same one we have as HOH people. It’s the constant need to “explain” to people that we’re not drunk (or “stuck up” in the HOH case), we’re actually suffering from a health condition that we DO NOT WANT TO GIVE IN TO OR GIVE UP OUR MEANINGFUL LIFE FOR! In other words, we want to be normal, and have access to all the things that most people can expect.
Of course, there’s also the tired old saw… “Isn’t there a cure, a drug, an operation?” Yes Virginia, there are drugs (I take them) and operations (you join the ranks of the Deaf, in some cases), but there’s no cure, in the “let’s just fix it and go on with our happy lives” sense.
I consider myself very very fortunate that my vertigo has only occurred in sporadic attacks, and the last “remission” I had actually lasted more than a year (I’ve had a few attacks in recent weeks). I’m personally acquainted with someone who has been hospitalized for months with severe attacks. That person could certainly claim deep knowledge of this subject.
The good news, as shouted above, is that I haven’t, and will not, let my vertigo rule or ruin my life. Sure, I’ve had to make some “concessions” – I gave up driving, lock stock and barrel about a year ago. Know what? My life is better for it. Why? Dozens of reasons. Just yesterday I was presented with a beautiful engraved glass award for being the person who “logged the most public transit miles (3000+) last year” by the corporate sponsored Transportation Management Association in my area (they want to get people out of their cars). That’s just a symbol, but there are other good things too. When you need to rely on friends for rides, you tend to get more friends. Try it! Good friends reciprocate (in other ways), and indeed I do – that’s really all it takes.
So it turns out, Drunken Sailor Syndrome and all, I really AM living and working with vertigo. And living, and working are both very good things indeed.
Please feel free to share your own story in comments if you have one!
Paul S (aka LifeWrecked)
I have 2 people in my group home that have vertigo. One is mild and the other is severe and requires the access service public transportation.
I suffer from Meniere’s Disease, too. Have had it for around 8 years now. It was a very scary time the first year as I did not know what it was and strangely, neither did my doctors. They thought it might be an allergy or something. I did some research and found I have Meniere’s Disease and that there is no cure other than the risky surgery and/or gamma knife in which your vertigo might worsen – the opposite result. I elected not to let it control my life either.
The acute attacks seems to occur seasonally for me – those attacks go the whole 9 yards – vomitting, drunken sailor syndrome, chilling, sweating, etc. My best defense is to take the diazepam and just lay in bed and watch tv…I couldn’t read the captions, obviously, but I become focused enough to try to make sense of what I am watching, and this task helps me fall asleep with the assistance of the diazepam. The aftereffects includes sheer exhaustation. I am usually back to self upon waking up.
Twice the milder attacks occured while I was driving in the 8 years I have had the disease and both times I managed to survive. The first time was fortunate that I got caught in a traffic jam in Los Angeles and I managed to take the diazepam and simply targeted the license plate of the car in front of me and I drove 60 miles following that car to my friend’s house. The second one I was fortunate I was close to home and I managed to hug the sidewalk to my driveway.
I always carry diazepam in my purse. Occasionally I get hit at work, right in middle of teaching, and I’ve mastered the skill not to panic and continue with what I am doing, figting to maintain my balance, spinning, etc. I seem to master the sense of balance by focusing on it.
I did consider permanently become unemployed out of fear of driving and having attacks at work but now I’ve come to accept it as part of my life and learn how to live with it.
However, if my acute attacks occur more frequently to the point it is unsafe to drive, I will have to give up driving, indeed. I am not at that point just yet.
Only people with our condition understand what it is like to have this disease which is no picnic. Not even my husband understands what it is like.
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Cy and Paul,
I understand what both of you go through. My husband has severe vertigo attacks from Menieres. Oh-it’s so miserable!! The hearing loss is one thing– irritating sometimes, but managable! The violent vertigo and sickness is unbearable for me to watch sometimes. I feel so helpless cuz I can’t do anything for him.
Thanks Cy and Richard and Butterfly!
It’s always good to know how “not alone” I am, and I know I have it relatively easy so far compared to some of your situations. Has anyone heard of or tried “vestibular training” to manage their vertigo symptoms? I’m told that if the attack is fairly mild (I sometimes get those), with certain “exercises”, one can train oneself to be fully functional and balanced in spite of the attack.
Paul S
I’ve never been “vestibularily” trained but I’ve managed to self-teach how not to panic, how to maintain my balance and function during the attacks. This morning I got hit with a brief attack and I managed to drive through the morning communter traffic by not panicking, focusing on the road to stay on my lane. I always drive the same route for that reason – familiarity of the route helps with knowing what to expect ahead of you during the attack and plan on exiting and pull off if necessary. I was able to fully function as a driver.
But with the acute attack, I may not be able to maintain the car in my lane. I had the acute attack during my sons sport banquet. My husband was there. Strangely I did not have the other effects such as vomitting, chilling, sweating, etc, but I did have the drunken sailor symptom. That day, I couldn’t independently walk a straight line – I kept walking sideways – I had to hold on to my husband’s arm towards our car. My husband said he felt strong tug on his my arm as I walked sideways..he had to keep his arm closed so I couldn’t pull him sideways along with me. He had a brief glimpse of what it was like for me that day. I believe it was triggered by the long bus ride on a field trip which totaled 5 hours – bumpy school bus ride on winding roads up the mountains. The high atitude seems to contribute to the vertigo symptoms for me…every time I go up into the mountains, I get hit with vertigo sooner or later. That day I was up on the mountain only a few hours but the effects hit me later nonetheless. I expected it so I had my husband drive me to work and take me home and stopped at the banquet on way home where the attack occured.
It is just something I learned to live with. Better than sitting at home doing nothing.
I don’t have Menieres but I am dizzy ALL THE TIME. I have had occasional attacks of BPV (and I often wonder if it is linked to certain foods such as cheese and coffee) but my main problem is that I am ‘a drunken sailor” all the time. I never get any respite from it although it has got slightly better over the years (I have had it for 5 and a half years) but has since got much worse. I don’t get the sensational spinning round feeling, more a lurch to one side in which case I have to grab at something or stop and get my bearings. I have to take the drugs stemetil and diazepam constantly and this is causing some problems for me as the diazepam is not working as well as it used to. Is there anyone else out there with the same symptoms as me? How do you cope with it?
I have the constant feeling also of always being off balance..have had it for 15 years now since a motorcycle accident..It is getting worse as I get older..I have tried the exercises and bvvp manipulating but has not helped..I am now nauseated all the time too..sometimes just feel like giving up..I have a cleaning service and clean houses every day with constant bending turning etc. and is getting harder to work..I feel hopeless a lot and just want to lay down and not get up but even in that there is no relief..anyone relate to me???
Can people with vertigo expect to work successfully?
I have had vertigo for almost 6 years. I was able to keep my long-time job for 4 of those years, as bouts with the vertigo would come and go, lasting 2 days to 3 months, with as little as a few weeks and as much as a year in between. Then, I would use all my vacation, time, delegate lots of work to interns, try to wait it out. For the past 2 years I have been unable to work, due to frequent and unpredictable bouts of strong spinning, probably BPPV. I downplay it with friends, lay low and try not to draw attention to myself, hoping it will go away and that I’ll soon be back in the game. But lately the bouts always last about 2-3 months, with only a few weeks break in between. I can no longer do my previous job as a social worker. What do others do about keeping their jobs? What kind of work can a person with vertigo expect to do well? I know my dreams of becoming a tightrope walker are dashed, but what do you all do? Apply for disability? Thanks, all.
It’s good to see that i’m not alone. I am only 30 and have had vertigo for 2 years now. I had cholesteatoma in both ears (it’s been described to me as tumors that eat away the balance muscles). They have been taken out. My doctor was suprised to hear that my vertigo hasn’t gone away. Now I’m waiting to see a nuerologist. Does this seem like a good path? I also don’t know what to do about work. I am currently a student but my grades are suffering because I can’t afford books. Any advice for a fellow drunken sailor?
I’m 58 I have tinnitus that started a couple of years ago. After 8 months of head ringing and falling down everywhere in the house and yard and a torn rotator cuff my doctor sent me to get hearing aids with a tinnitus breaker. I’ve noticed I can’t walk very fast and turn my head to look behind me and my balance isn’t close to what it used to be. The tinnitus breaker has been a life saver except it has made me very excited. The breaker is set pretty high and I have bouts of never being able to rest. If I’m sitting down I need to get up. I go from one thing to the other not being able to get any rest. The nice thing is all the work outside the house has been completed. The bad thing is I work until I can barely stand up.
Last week my doctor gave me Buspar to help me be able to sit a little. It works great but within about an hour after I take it I am a little intoxicated but that wears off and I am pretty good. I am supposed to take it in the morning and at night but haven’t been able to take it and go to work yet. My guess Buspar is doing the same thing diazepam might do.
That’s my little story
Dennis
I am so fed up with Vertigo. I have been to my doctor, I have had CAT scans that show nothing. I have been to an ENT that says I have great hearing and doesn’t see any problems. Yet I have intense ringing in my ears. I can not stand to have the tv or radio on for I hear the ringing. I have at least 1 Vertigo attack daily and since there is nothing out there to really help I deal with them. But they are starting to run my life.
I have had these for maybe 5 years or better now. I find it hard to get up and go to work. I just want to stay home and not deal with it. When I have a bad attack, (dizziness, chills, can’t walk, etc.) I feel like I am wiped out and drained. It makes me feel like I have not slept in days. Am I the only one that seems to feel so drained by it.
My daughter, out of love, makes fun when we go out and I can’t walk a straight line. I do not care so much what other people think by starring. My biggest fear is that if I have one when I an out what will happen. Therefore making me not want to leave. I have two kids and I feel like I am making them loose out because I am constantly feeling miserable.
I am right there with the other’s what do you do. Stay home and live on disability? I can not keep calling into work or I won’t have a job to go to anyway.
Jocelyn, I too have the dizziness all the time to varying degrees and it’s really getting me down. I had my first “episode” 3 years ago just before Christmas and lasted until the middle of January. Each year since then I have had it for between 3 and4 weeks at a time only around Christmas, and dread the approach of the season. This time, it began around the 12th December and hasn’t gone away. It has happened at a very bad time as I was in the process of starting a business which has had to be put on hold. I was eventually referred to the ENT department where I had a full vestibular investigation. The results were that I have ‘nothing to worry about, nothing life threatening’ and was given a few sheets of exercises to do. I was told to start with basic, cross them off when they stop making me feel dizzy, working my way up to advanced. The trouble is every movement of my head makes the dizziness worse, lowering my head, the worst of all (eating, typing etc) makes me extremely dizzy. I am 44 years old married with 2 children and a life I want to get back to. The one saving grace is that I do not suffer with nausea as I know others do, but have problems concentrating, occasionally focusing my eyes, reading and using the PC. I find the only respite from it is to sit with my head totally upright resting on a high back chair watching TV – although “bad camera work” and fast moving images really affect me. If anyone has any tips to cope with this I’d much appreciate it.
Hi all. I am not one to write my life to the world. but when i came to this site and read through all of your wonderful and horrible letters i thought i might. I am 44 and have had vertigo for about 2 months. this is a frightning thing that is happening. i went to my general DR and she just said here is a drug that will help with the spinning and sent me on my way. praise the lord for the internet. during the first month of this i gained about 8 pounds and just felt puffy and horrible. i found alot of people and sites that have been helpful and went to a balance therapy place. i took all sorts of tests for about 2 hours and they said that i need to drasticly drop my sodium intake. i did that for a while and i think it helped and dropped some water weight which is what they said was the problem. too much water in my inner ear. but now it is back and reading your stories have made me feel that i am not alone and it just might not go away. I have learned not to panic and try to deal with it when it hits. I do feel like i am all alone in this. My husband is sooo supportive but you are right you can’t explain how we are feeling. thank you for this web site and want to hear from more people like us. your personal stories have made me feel a bit better. I will deffinitely have my husband read all of this and maybe he can get a bigger picture of vertigo. Sincere thanks. Angie from Austin. I am an agent for a wonderful sticker company if you would like to see.
I refuse to look up any Vertigo information and where is coming from, since it overwhelms me .It makes me feel hopeless, but curiosity killed the cat and so I am here in this site reading all of your stories and I want to give thanks to the creator of this site
I have being suffering episodes of vertigo for about 4 months now but until six weeks they have gotten very strong. My symptoms are more like I am on a boat and I can’t keep my balance when I am up on my feet and specially when I am on like that 3rd floor of a building (scary) since is something very new for me .I am still in process of accepting the condition. I am a 27 year old married with two children (tears) and I feel like it has taken A LOT of my life (tears) . It really has affected me emotionally because until this day they still can’t find where this is coming from. About six weeks ago I started with fevers and for about 3 weeks I had about seven fevers, so I was given antibiotics for bacteria that the dr’s thought I had in body, so far the fever are no longer around (THANK GOD!) And for the vertigo they gave me Meclizine which makes me drowsy and since I have a 6 yr old daughter and a 8month old baby full of energy, I want to be very awake to be around them. so I stop taking Meclizine. So at this time of my life I am PRAYING and hoping this is only a nightmare and I wish it can go away soon. At least 3 times in the past month I had to leave from events like birthday parties and family gatherings, because I start feeling that vertigo and I get like very panic when I get the episodes and I think that just makes me more unbalance. The way I explain people how I feel is like being drunk but without the alcohol (and not that I am a big drinker, but I know the feeling) all I can say is that I hope god gives me the serenity to accept this condition and learn how to live with it incase it plans to be around for long, I really am hoping, praying and wishing it GOES AWAY SOON !!. My ears also tend to get like clogged as if I was driving on a mountain and sometimes feel very drained when I get the vertigo. All my blood test came back normal and so my only concern are my ears. Two dr’s that saw me say that they do not see an infection in my ear the only thing they see is that my ear is a little congested so now I am taking flonase for my allergies, because they tell me that the reason I am getting Vertigo is because of my sinus. So at this point I am just going for what the dr’s say.
And for all those others that are in here I will also pray for you too,Because I know exactly how you guys feel when vertigo strikes especially if you are a wife and a mom.