Poorly Titled Article

Someone I know from a website sent me a link to the following article. The title immediately caught my attention, and not in a promising and hopeful way, but after reading the article I must confess that I find it frustrating. The title is completely unsupported by the article in the way that tabloids like to sensationalize for attention. There is no research information to back up the title and even the quotation from the doctor does not make a connection between the two. (Of course, it looks like they are talking only about vestibular vertigo and not cervical vertigo so that probably would suggest that any scientific or research evidence the article provided would have been irrelevant anyway.)

Computer use leads to rise in vertigo cases Ravi BhatiaTribune News Service

New Delhi, July 29

As a direct fallout of the changing lifestyle and modern day dependence on computers and other communication aids, many people are now falling victim to vertigo, which in itself is a minor ailment, but can often lead to serious and even fatal consequences.

Recently, a motorcyclist suddenly dashed against a moving bus near Nehru Place and suffered serious injuries. He was rushed to the hospital. When he recovered from his injuries and was able to talk, he told the attending doctors that the accident was the result of the fact that he suddenly had a bout of dizziness and could not control his movements.

Going into his medical history, it was discovered that the patient had been having these attacks for quite some time but generally ignored them, blaming them on fatigue or the general heat and dust of the city.

The doctors concluded that it was not mere dizziness but he was suffering from a severe case of vertigo

Vertigo is a classification under dizziness that results in a spinning sensation or illusion of movement and arises from disturbances in the vestibular system or neural structures such as the cerebellum, the brain stem, and the pro- perceptive fibers along the spine. Many people who experience dizzy sensations often do not have vertigo, but instead, are found to suffer from common lightheadedness.

“Dizziness and vertigo are unpleasant and common conditions. Although the causes are not usually serious, sometimes the consequences can be serious like in the accident case. That is why it is important for the sufferers to get a thorough medical examination,” says Dr. R S Mishra, consultant physician, Max Super Speciality Hospital, here.

Most people have experienced that vague unsteady feeling, usually after standing up too quickly, called dizziness. And many have had that unpleasant sensation of the room spinning around, often associated with nausea. Doctors distinguish between the two symptoms, calling the first dizziness and the second vertigo. This is a useful distinction in that vertigo is more likely to point to specific problems with balance mechanisms whereas dizziness can occur because of a wide variety of reasons, say doctors.

Dr. K. D. Gupta, senior ENT specialist, Sir Gangaram Hospital, says, “Vertigo sufferers should avoid alcohol, coffee, chocolate and other foods that are high in sugar or salt.

Moreover, vertigo patients, especially in the summer season, should always carry some or other kind of vestibular sedatives so as to cut down its impact immediately and to keep the situation under control.”

However, it is particularly urgent and advisable to consult your doctor if the dizziness or vertigo occur together with one or more of the symptoms like severe headache, blurred vision, hearing loss, speech problems, weakness in a leg or arm, fainting, problem in walking, numbness or tingling, chest pain or changes in heart rate, which can be a sign of a more serious underlying heath problem,he advises.