Causes:
The various parts of human body’s equilibrium or balance are regulated by the inner ear, brain stem, cerebellum, nerve tracts or proprioceptive system and eye. Hence a disorder in any of these parts can cause vertigo.
Common causes include:
Motion sickness – The most common cause of vertigo is motion sickness because the inner ear is flimsy to constant swaying motions. This occurs only when a person travels or moves a long distances. Taking proper care prior to travelling will surely control this feeling.
Benign parozysmal positional vertigo [BPPV]: In this condition the calcium particles in the semi-circular canals gets easily displaced due to sudden head/ neck movements. This can be treated, but is recurrent.
Meniere’s disease: It causes extreme fluid build-up in the inner ear called hydrops. This fluid movement in the inner ear causes giddiness.
Infections [bacterial or vital]: These cause labyrynthitis or inflammation of the inner ear.
Tumours: Tumours of the Vlll N like acoustic neuroma [a non cancerous tumour that develops on the nerve that connects the ear to the brain].
Medications: Certain medications with high dosage can damage the inner ear such as aminoglycocides, anti-malaria drugs, and diuretics, etc.
Ear infections: Infections that occur in the middle ear can destroy the inner ear and cause giddiness due to the fistulas like cholesteatoma [this a growth of the skin in the middle ear behind the eardrum].
Vertebra basilar insufficiency [VBI]: The supply of the blood to the brain decreases than normal. It is seen primarily in elderly patients.
Apart from these, Herpes Zoster [viral disease] / Paget’s disease [a chronic bone condition] and numerous central and etc, can also cause vertigo.