People who experience dizziness when walking should be concerned about their health. First of all, put diazepam (Relanium) in your purse or pocket. This sedative will help relieve dizziness .
But diazepam tablets are only a temporary measure! Consultation with a doctor is necessary. Especially if there are obvious or hidden problems with the cardiovascular system.
Periodic attacks of dizziness and simultaneously occurring unsteadiness when walking in most cases indicate pathological processes in the body.
Sometimes short-term discomfort of this kind can be a consequence of overwork or stress. gait instability and vertigo are also characteristic of various types of intoxication: medicinal, alcoholic, chemical.
Frequent, regularly recurring attacks require seeking medical help, identifying and treating the causes of pathological symptoms. The choice of treatment measures depends on the specific diagnosis.
Reasons for the development of disorders
Dizziness (vertigo) is a condition in which there is a loss of control over one’s own body in space. It is manifested by a lack of coordination when walking, a person develops a feeling of intoxication due to instability and rotation of surrounding objects.
Structure of the vestibular apparatus
This disorder is formed when the anatomical structures responsible for the balance of the body in space are damaged. Pathological changes occur in the visual, auditory and muscular regions. The main cause of dizziness is structural damage to the peripheral vestibular nerve or inner ear apparatus. This type of dizziness is called peripheral. With diseases of the brain, central vertigo develops. Due to psychovegetative disorders, non-systemic dizziness occurs.
Causes of peripheral dizziness:
- inflammatory process of the inner ear;
- inflammation of the vestibular apparatus;
- after suffering viral and bacterial infections;
- wax plug in the ear;
- poisoning with toxic substances;
- chronic otitis media
The cause of central dizziness is:
- traumatic brain injury;
- cerebrovascular accident;
- changes in blood flow in a certain area of the brain;
- brain tumors;
- atherosclerosis of the vessels of the head;
- pinched nerves of the cervical spine;
- sudden changes in atmospheric pressure.
Factors contributing to the development of psychovegetative dizziness:
- conversion disorder;
- depression;
- after suffering stress;
- emotional stress;
- changes in hormonal levels;
- neurological disorders;
- mental illness.
The coordinated work of all systems ensures good orientation of a person in space.
Important! All types of dizziness arise as a result of disruption of the interaction of the visual, vestibular and somatosensory systems, therefore there are no clear boundaries between the causes.
How to treat
Effective therapy for coordination disorders consists of several components: medication, general recommendations on daily routine and nutrition, and the use of folk remedies.
The main recommendations for dizziness are as follows:
- Movements in this state should be very slow (you must move especially carefully when changing body positions: do not suddenly stand up or sit down).
- If you feel dizzy, you need to drink plenty of fluids (a sufficient amount of fluid will help improve your well-being in this condition).
- Caffeine and nicotine can worsen cerebral circulation, so you should abstain or completely abandon bad habits.
Choice of funds
Drug treatment can be carried out using the following drugs, depending on the cause of dizziness:
- tranquilizers (these drugs can suppress feelings of anxiety and fear during panic attacks): Diazepam;
- drugs that suppress attacks of nausea: Cerucal;
- means that improve blood circulation: Cavinton, Actovegin, Vinpocetine;
- diuretics (eliminate instability and attacks during which dizziness and swaying): Furosemide;
- antihistamines and anticholinergics (inhibit the activity of vestibular structures): Meclozine, Atropine;
- preparations based on betahistine hydrochloride (prescribed to eliminate all manifestations of pathologies of the vestibular apparatus): Betagis;
- drugs for the treatment of the middle ear (Sofradex, Otipax) and inner ear.
Additional treatment involves the use of physiotherapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy, as well as strengthening the immune system (including with the help of vitamin complexes).
Treatment of this phenomenon with folk remedies is also possible (but only after consultation with the doctor). In such cases the following applies:
- pomegranate, carrot and beet juice;
- teas with medicinal plants (melissa, mint) and ginger or lemon;
- a decoction made from parsley seeds;
- seaweed powder.
Prevention
In some cases, these symptoms may also arise from ordinary fatigue, stress, or as a result of physiological processes (during pregnancy, menopause, menopause)
In this case, it is important for people suffering from dizziness and loss of spatial orientation to know measures to prevent such conditions. To prevent their occurrence, you must avoid:
- long-term strain on the eyes (do not watch fast moving objects or read in poor lighting);
- improper nutrition (overeating);
- traumatic sports;
- too loud music.
Treatment of ataxia
In addition to the above preventive measures, it is necessary:
- harden the body;
- often go for walks, as fresh air is extremely beneficial for health;
- treat all diseases in a timely manner (if you start treatment from the first days of these unpleasant symptoms appearing, then you will have a greater chance of a favorable outcome without consequences and complications);
- stop smoking (or smoke at most once a day);
- eat rationally (adhere to therapeutic diets).
When developing dizziness and impaired coordination of movements, it is important to understand that such symptoms cannot be considered temporary and harmless. Ignoring them carries the risk of injury and progression of the primary pathology, therefore, when such signals from the body appear, you must immediately visit your doctor and undergo an examination.
Mechanism of development of conditions
The peripheral part of the vestibular apparatus of the inner ear sends information to the nerve cells of the brain where the vestibular nuclei are located. From there, nerve impulses go to the temporal region of the cerebral cortex, where the balance center controls the position of the body in space. If the transmission of nerve impulses is disrupted at any part of the path, it provokes the formation of dizziness.
The mechanism for the development of systemic dizziness is a violation of the transmission of impulses to the vestibular ganglia and semicircular tubules, which receive information from organs located in the inner ear.
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Symptoms of pathological processes
Damage to the vestibular center entails a number of clinical symptoms that manifest themselves in autonomic disorders. Patients experience dysfunction of the nervous and cardiovascular systems.
Symptoms of peripheral and central dizziness:
- feeling of intoxication;
- sensation of rotation;
- darkening before the eyes;
- body balance disorder;
- increased heart rate;
- sensory disturbance;
- decrease in blood pressure.
Characteristic psychogenic symptoms are:
- feeling of lightheadedness;
- rapid loss of consciousness;
- growing anxiety;
- panic attacks.
Patients often complain that they feel dizzy when walking, have trouble concentrating, and develop weakness in the limbs, which makes it difficult to work. Dizziness intensifies when turning the body and can last up to 2 days.
If cerebral circulation is impaired, an increase in blood pressure, severe headache that ends with vomiting, and memory impairment are observed.
Important! Attacks of dizziness do not pose a threat to human life.
Manifestation of pathology or reaction to an external stimulus: how to determine
In some cases, when the head hurts or feels dizzy, it may not be related to pathology, the body’s natural reaction to external stimuli, for example:
- Water, land and air transport. Just like motion sickness, dizziness all the time while in a moving vehicle is absolutely normal for people with a sensitive vestibular system. According to statistics, this most often occurs in children under 12 years of age, whose vestibular apparatus has not yet fully developed.
- Carousels. Riding on a carousel is often accompanied by dizziness, which is a normal reaction of the brain to the rapid change of images and rotation of the body. After you've been on the carousel, your head may continue to spin throughout the day.
- Stress. Typically, strong positive or negative emotions are accompanied by a surge of adrenaline, which can cause dizziness. A sudden surge of adrenaline in stressful situations is also normal. There are many diseases that cause a person to be in constant fear, panic, rage, and they should not be confused with ordinary stress. They provoke a surge of adrenaline and dizziness. Such diseases include, for example, pheochromocytoma.
- Height. When a person rises to a significant height, his gaze is directed into the distance and does not have the ability to sharply switch to surrounding objects. Dizziness in such situations is normal, especially if the person has a fear of heights.
- Exhaustion, severe fatigue. Usually accompanied not only by dizziness, but also by headache, which is concentrated in the temporal lobe. After a healthy, sound sleep, such dizziness goes away the next day.
- Lack of food and drink. Dizziness can occur due to a sharp lack of food and water. If a person gradually limits himself, over weeks or even months, then the body calmly adapts. Even if you haven’t eaten for only 8 hours, but before that you constantly had a hearty breakfast and lunch, this can even cause loss of consciousness. Usually, this is not a pathology, but irregular nutrition can be accompanied by serious gastrointestinal diseases. In this case, the head does not become more dizzy with sudden movements. If you have been dizzy all day and haven’t eaten anything, then you just have to eliminate the cause and your condition will return to normal.
- Sudden change of position. A common reaction when you suddenly get out of bed in the morning is a darkening of your vision, especially if you haven’t slept well before. In such a situation, you should drink a glass of cold water and lie down for a while, try to get up again, not so abruptly.
If you sometimes feel dizzy in the above situations and have no other complaints, then there should be no cause for concern, and medical help is not necessary.
Help for dizziness
An attack of dizziness, accompanied by a feeling of extreme intoxication, can unsettle and greatly frighten.
In such a situation, you should act immediately:
- You need to sit or lie down, which will ease the sensation of rotation and protect against injury.
- Sit with your head between your legs and press on the occipital region, this improves blood flow to the brain.
- Drink a glass of water to relieve nausea.
- Concentrate on one subject.
- Use deep breathing techniques.
When a person becomes dizzy with low blood pressure, it is necessary to:
- Lay the victim down.
- Release from tight clothing.
- Provide fresh air flow.
- Elevate your legs to restore cerebral circulation.
- Influence active points in the back of the head.
- Before the specialists arrive, give them some sweet tea.
- You can use aromatherapy (moisten a cotton wool in essential oils of eucalyptus, mint or ammonia).
Diagnosis of the disease
If you are worried about dizziness and a feeling of intoxication, you should urgently visit your doctor, who will assess your condition and prescribe the correct treatment. To confirm the diagnosis, a consultation with an otolaryngologist and neurologist may be prescribed. For dizziness of unknown etiology, you need to undergo a number of laboratory and instrumental studies.
Functional tests to determine the state of the nervous system:
- finger-nose test;
- heel-knee test;
- Romberg test (march walking);
- determination of vision frequency.
Instrumental research methods:
- Magnetic resonance imaging of brain vessels (allows you to determine the condition of blood vessels and exclude their narrowing).
- Videonismatography (determines the state of the vestibular apparatus).
- X-ray of the cervical and head regions (detects previous spinal injuries).
- Audiography (helps assess the quality of hearing functions).
- Electrocochleography (high-frequency hearing test).
- CT scan of the temporal bone (performed for damage to the bone structure).
- Electroencephalography (allows us to identify attacks of dizziness in epilepsy).
Important! Self-administration of medications is not allowed; consultation with a specialist is required before taking them.
Drug treatment
Therapy is aimed at stopping the underlying disease that caused the condition. The basis of treatment is calming the vestibular apparatus with medications and strengthening it with physiotherapy.
Medicines improve cerebral circulation, relieve spasms and accelerate the metabolism of vessel walls.
To combat dizziness when walking, the following groups of drugs are used:
- Alpha adrenergic blockers (Sermion, Nicergoline, Artezin).
- Antispasmodics (No-shpa, Drotaverine, Eufillin).
- Combined drugs (Vazobral, Stugeron, Instenon).
- Nootropics (Piracetam, Citicoline, Cerebrolysin).
- Vasodilators (Tanakan, Cavinton, Vesibo).
- Antihistamines (Suprastin, Loratodin, Promethazine).
- Means to improve brain function (Glycine, Undevit, Aminalon).
- Vitamin complexes (Reomacrodex, Ascorutin, Parmidin).
- Homeopathic (Cavinton, Vinpocetine, Telektol).
Physiotherapy will help normalize blood circulation in the cervical spine and brain, increase oxygen access to brain tissue, and reduce muscle tension.
Physiotherapy uses procedures such as:
- cervical massage;
- physiotherapy;
- phonophoresis with hydrocortisone;
- electrophoresis with vascular preparations;
- magnetic therapy;
- medicinal baths;
- acupuncture;
- acupuncture.