Dizziness Flashcards
vertigo
illusion of movement; It may be subjective (the patient feels like they are moving) or objective (the patient feels that the environment is moving).
presyncope
a feeling of faintness or lightheadedness. It occurs with a global decrease in perfusion of the brain.
disequilibrium
the feeling of being unsteady on ones feet
nystagmus
the to-and-fro oscillation of the eyes. Jerk nystagmus occurs when the eyes move fast in one direction and more slowly in the opposite. This is named according to the fast phase and indicates imbalance in vestibular inputs. It is normal when the head is moving but abnormal at rest.
Meniere Syndrome
a condition in which there is increased pressure in the endolymph of the inner ear (probably due to diminished resorption of endolymph). This may result in “blowouts” of the membranes of the inner ear, with sudden attacks of vertigo lasting hours. It usually also results in gradually progressive, low-pitch hearing loss, often with a humming or buzzing type of tinnitus.
Benign Paroxysmal Position Vertigo
a condition in which some otoliths are free to move around the inner ear. They provoke sudden attacks of vertigo beginning after several seconds of delay and lasting less than a minute. Looking up at the ceiling, down at the floor or turning over in bed often provoke the symptom and the Hall Pike (Nylan-Barany) maneuver often reproduces symptoms of vertigo and provokes rotatory nystagmus that also lasts less than a minute.
canilith repositioning maneuver
used to treat benign paroxysmal postional vertigo by moving the patient through a series of positions that move otoliths from the semicircular ducts into the utriculus.
Chiari malformation
the congenital herniation of the cerebellum through the foramen magnum. There are several types based on associated abnormalities, but it often results in vertigo and occipital headaches. There may be vertical nystagmus and, when severe, dysfunction of long tracts of the spinal cord.
acoustic neuroma
a relatively common, benign tumor that is comprised of Schwann cells of the vestibular nerve. It is characterized by progressive hearing loss and some (usually mild) vertigo
tinnitus
perception of sound in the absence of stimuli. It can be high pitched (ringing) or low pitched (humming or buzzing).
four types of dizziness
vertigo
presyncopal lightheadedness
dsiequilibrium
other
nystagmus in central vs peripheral vertigo
peripheral- horizontal to one side (severe)
central-vertical (less severe)
most effective BPPV treatment
cannilith repositioning maneuver
–terminates tendency to have these attacks, but can return as more otoliths become liberated
cervicoventral vertgo
provoked by mov’t or sustained positions of the neck
–symptoms begin as head is moved and remain during period of sustained head position
acute labrinithitis/vestibular neuronitis
inflammatory
precise, monophasic attacks of vertigo (come on quickly and resolve in a few days)
-may be after viral
