Is my dizziness caused by motion sickness or vertigo
Motion sickness and vertigo are quite similar in that they are both problems with the vestibular system. You may even hear people refer to motion sickness as a form of vertigo. For the purposes of this article we will be referring to them as two separate conditions that have many similarities. It is possible for the vertigo symptoms and motion sickness symptoms to become muddled, so hopefully you will have a better understanding by the end of this article.
Motions sickness can also be referred to by other names such as; car sickness, travel sickness, seasick, as well as other names that are all referring to the same thing. The reason why travel sickness occurs is that there is a mismatch between what our eyes are seeing and the information coming from the vestibular system; this vestibular system provides the brain with information about where we are in relation to space and it also is responsible for controlling our balance. We experience dizziness along with nausea. Motion sickness has an obvious cause and we usually feel better after our journey is over and we have given our bodies a chance to recuperate.
Vertigo is also a condition affecting the vestibular system only in this case there is no obvious cause as to why we are experiencing what we are experiencing. It may feel like we are spinning or that the room is spinning around us; this type of dizziness can be very upsetting. We are also likely to experience nausea and vomiting, and may have strange eye movements known as nystagamus. We might also experience something people describe as pressure in head. With motion sickness it is our travelling that has caused the problem, but with vertigo it can come out of nowhere and be really frightening if we have never experienced such a thing previously. Vestibular system and what is vertigo
It will rarely be necessary for you to seek medical attention for car sickness other than purchase some over the counter medication. With vertigo though, it is important that you seek medical help in order to establish a cause for these symptoms. Car sickness usually resolves itself quickly, but with vertigo you might need to deal with the symptoms for quite a while. 5 facts so that you will know what is vertigo
One way that vertigo and motions sickness in similar is in treatment. It is generally the case that those drug treatments that work well for motion sickness can also work well for vertigo. That is not to say that you should diagnose yourself and begin taking car sickness tablets to treat your vertigo. It can be a lot more complex than that and you should always see your doctor to give advice on what will be the best treatment path to follow. There are some natural and homeopathic remedies you may want to try. Homeopathic remedies and what you can do with vertigo
As you can see there are good reasons why you need to be able to tell if you are having travel sickness or vertigo; these feelings of dizziness can have very different causes. If in any doubt then you should visit your doctor for a check-up. Vertigo is quite common and it can most often be treated successfully and in a relatively timely manner.
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