Can Vertigo Cause Seizures?

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Vertigo is a dizzying sensation of spinning or whirling brought about by disturbances in balance and can cause unpleasant symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and general unsteadiness. But can it also cause seizures?

When most people think of the cause of seizures, they focus on diseases like epilepsy or conditions like brain injury. However, vertigo may also be a less common but potential factor in seizure development. This spontaneous phenomenon can happen due to certain conditions or structurally-induced irregularities within the brain's interior space.

Dizziness and vertigo are common neurological symptoms during a seizure episode and its occurrence could indicate that an individual is suffering from an inner ear disorder causing the dizziness. For example, vestibular neuronitis is caused by an inflammation of the nerves in the inner ear which causes severe dizziness; some individuals may experience seizures associated with this condition.

Ménière’s syndrome is another inner ear disorder that results in fluctuating sensorineural hearing loss and vertigo with episodes lasting from several minutes to hours at a time; research has begun to suggest that seizures associated with Ménière’s may happen due to changes within the electrical activity of auditory nerves stimulated by Ménière’s syndrome presenting itself as vertigo attacks.

In cases like these, brain imaging studies facilitate diagnosis since MRIs might show specific areas affected by seizures due to underlying disorders or lesions of the temporal lobe; epileptic drugs can then be administered for preventive control if recurrent episodes occur alongside unstable blood pressure due to vertigo spells.

In conclusion, although uncommon, vertigo can indeed cause seizures depending on which underlying disorder is present. If any person has experienced continuous bouts of dizziness along with seizure activities like fainting or involuntary jerking, then medical attention should be sought out immediately for proper diagnosis of potential neurological issues related to vertigo-caused seizures.

For another approach, see: Pnes Seizures

Are vertigo and seizures related? The short answer is no. However, the truth can be a bit more complicated than that. While vertigo and seizures are not directly related in the same way that a cause-effect relationship is present between two other conditions, they do have several connections.

For starters, vertigo and seizures can both be symptomatic of much larger underlying issues, including inner ear damage or neurological abnormalities. In addition, certain types of medications designed to treat epilepsy have been known to have an effect on one’s balance, thereby leading to subsequent bouts of vertigo or dizziness. Lastly, certain seizure medications such as benzodiazepines can make a patient suffer from what are called “non-epileptic seizures” (or pseudo-seizures), that may lead to temporary vertigo.

The takeaway for people experiencing symptoms of both conditions should be this: It is important to seek medical advice if you’re having attacks of vertigo or seizures as these could be a sign of something more serious like inner ear damage or abnormal brain functioning. Your doctor can then properly assess your situation and recommend the appropriate course of action regarding any possible relation between the two maladies.

Related reading: Iv Medications

How does vertigo increase the risk of seizures?

Vertigo is a condition where a person experiences the feeling of spinning, yet their environment and objects around them remain still. It’s a disorienting and dizzying sensation that can result in tremendous fear and vertigo-induced anxiety. It can also result in nausea, headaches, weakness, sweating and difficulty in standing or walking. Unbeknownst to many people though, vertigo isn't just a condition in itself - it can also increase the risk of seizures.

It's important to understand how vertigo increases one’s chances of experiencing a seizure episode. Vertigo can cause serious head injuries that damage the brain and its nerves - which increases the risk of seizures. Furthermore, it can lead to hypoxia - lack of oxygen in the brain which predisposes one to seizures per research done by Cleveland Clinic. Medications used to treat vertigo such as meclizine and sedatives may also increase the risk of seizure due to increased dizziness when taken with other drugs or alcohol.

It's also known that vertigo as itself increases stress levels leading to an increase in cortisol levels which not only affects mental wellbeing but studies show it may also cause changes in your body that could lead to seizures. Moreover, various neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis, Meniere’s disease or labyrinthitis further increase one's risks of developing seizures due their association with inner ear disorders that are regularly accompanied by vertigo episodes. As mentioned above these conditions can cause head injuries which endanger healthy brain cells impacting communication amongst neurons resulting in an increased likelihood of seizures.

Therefore it is important for individuals diagnosed with Vertigo to monitor any symptoms they are experiecing carefully as well as take preventive measures such as avoiding medications containing sedatives/meclizine and minimizing stress levels where possible.

Alan Stokes

Writer

Alan Stokes is an experienced article author, with a variety of published works in both print and online media. He has a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and has gained numerous awards for his articles over the years. Alan started his writing career as a freelance writer before joining a larger publishing house.

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