Don t Just Suffer From Vertigo Get Help Everyday Health

Don t Just Suffer From Vertigo Get Help Everyday Health

Don't Just Suffer From Vertigo, Get Help Everyday Health MenuNewslettersSearch Multiple Sclerosis

Don t Just Suffer From Vertigo — Get Help

From a little light-headedness to ‘the spins’ and on to ‘stop the world, I want to get off,’ MS vertigo has a number of manifestations. By Trevis GleasonFor Life With Multiple SclerosisReviewed: September 22, 2022Everyday Health BlogsFact-CheckedSevere vertigo is disabling, but even mild vertigo is disruptive.Getty Images Recently, a couple of short spells of dizziness brought back memories of some of my first discernible MS attacks. These were little flutters of reality, not the weeklong bout with disequilibrium I’d experienced in my early twenties. But still … Dizziness isn’t rare with multiple sclerosis (MS). In fact, it happens to enough people to be considered one of the “more common” symptoms of the disease by the National MS Society. Many of us will feel the occasional light-headedness, slight bit of disorientation, and a sense of being off-balance when placing one foot in front of the other. Vertigo, however, is a much more severe and significantly rarer (but far from unknown) symptom of MS. This past weekend I experienced a bit of the former while walking through a parking lot. Luckily, my wife, Caryn, was at my side, and the episodes passed after a couple of moments. Being that we were walking to a friend’s live-aboard boat for an early-evening supper made me leery of the night’s prospects, but everything turned out fine. (Better than that: We had a great evening.)

The Sheer Misery of Severe Vertigo

The episode did, however, bring back memories of my 23rd year, when I was bedridden for over a week — and off work for two — having to keep my eyes closed so I wouldn’t see the world spinning past them. Crawling on all fours from bed to bath to vomit (to the point of heart arrhythmia) was a most miserable and humbling experience. Since this was before the wide use of MRI, and because I’d had no other symptoms, the local emergency doctors diagnosed me with labyrinthitis, an infection of the inner ear that can cause these symptoms (in retrospect, a blatant misdiagnosis, since I had none of the other symptoms of the disorder). The only thing the doctors could do for me at the time was to prescribe anti-nausea meds and wait until the symptoms passed. Since nearly everything I ate was coming back up, you can imagine the continuation of humbling I got when I realized that the medication was delivered via suppository. Not the most pleasant application, but I must admit that it worked pretty quickly.

Coping With Episodic or Persistent Vertigo

This was obviously a very serious bout of vertigo, but there are folks with MS who experience several levels of vertigo. Vertigo can be a constant for many people with the disease. I’ve had conversations with scores of people who live with varying degrees of it many if not most days. Thankfully, there are exercises that can “retrain” the brain to balance better. Even people without MS can benefit from this practice. In recent months, Caryn had a few episodes and was given the same routine to practice that I was prescribed subsequent to that first attack. The exercises worked for her, and they’ve worked for me. If you experience dizziness or vertigo (either as a result of MS or some other malady), talk to your doctors. Don’t go on suffering the off-kilter existence that is vertigo. Wishing you and your family the best of health. Cheers, Trevis My book Chef Interrupted is available on Amazon. Follow me on the Life With MS Facebook page and on Twitter, and read more on Life With Multiple Sclerosis. Important: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not Everyday Health.See More NEWSLETTERS

Sign up for our Multiple Sclerosis Newsletter

SubscribeBy subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

The Latest in Multiple Sclerosis

How to Craft a Life s Mission Statement

By Trevis GleasonOctober 21, 2022

Dysarthria When MS Makes It Hard to Speak

By Mona SenOctober 20, 2022

Is That Really How I Walk

By Trevis GleasonOctober 18, 2022

How Do You Know When to Throw in the Towel

By Trevis GleasonOctober 14, 2022

Living With MS What to Know About Neuropathic Pain and How to Manage It

Neuropathic pain is not your average pain. Here’s what to know about this unique type of MS pain and how to find relief.By Kerry WeissOctober 12, 2022

UTIs and MS The Importance of Early Diagnosis and Treatment

If you have multiple sclerosis, you may be prone to frequent urinary tract infections. Besides being painful, UTIs can make MS worse, so it’s important...By Kerry WeissOctober 12, 2022

Why Is Orange the Color of MS

By Trevis GleasonOctober 11, 2022

13 Celebrities Who Have Multiple Sclerosis

Look among the millions of people with multiple sclerosis and you'll find famous faces, too. Learn how some of these celebrities are dealing with MS and...By Regina Boyle WheelerOctober 11, 2022

We All Have Something to Teach Our MS Doctors

By Trevis GleasonOctober 7, 2022

EBV An MS Box I Can Finally Tick

By Trevis GleasonOctober 4, 2022 More In Life With Multiple Sclerosis

How to Craft a Life s Mission Statement

Is That Really How I Walk

How Do You Know When to Throw in the Towel

Share:
0 comments

Comments (0)

Leave a Comment

Minimum 10 characters required

* All fields are required. Comments are moderated before appearing.

No comments yet. Be the first to comment!