MRI is preferred over CT due to its superiority in visualizing the posterior fossa, which is often the location for a central etiology of vertigo. MRI will rule out acute and chronic ischemic disease, cerebellopontine lesions such as vestibular schwannomas and meningiomas, as well as multiple sclerosis.
MRI Scans. In some people with vertigo—in particular those who also have hearing loss—doctors may recommend an MRI scan to obtain a closer look at the inner ear and surrounding structures.
To put it simply, you want to look at the arteries of the vertebrobasilar system (which include the arteries of the head and neck) and the brain. Correct Imaging Tests: MRI Brain With and Without Contrast.
To conduct this test, your healthcare provider will simply turn your head 45 degrees to one side. Then, you'll quickly lie on your back, with your head off the side of the table, maintaining the 45-degree head turn for at least 30 seconds. If you experience vertigo during this test, you likely have BPPV.
A technique called canalith repositioning (or Epley maneuver) usually helps resolve benign paroxysmal positional vertigo more quickly than simply waiting for your dizziness to go away. It can be done by your doctor, an audiologist or a physical therapist and involves maneuvering the position of your head.
Less commonly, tumors that develop in the cerebellum—the part of the brain that controls movement—may cause vertigo, a condition characterized by balance problems and room-spinning sensations.
Vestibular neuritis: This inflammation of the vestibular nerve can cause vertigo. Vestibular neuritis is similar to labyrinthitis, but it doesn't alter your hearing. People with this condition may experience vertigo and nausea or blurred vision.
Vestibular neuritis is a condition that affects the vestibular nerve, which connects the inner ear to the brain, causing prolonged vertigo usually in the absence of significant hearing loss.
If you experience vertigo, an otolaryngologist — also known as an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctor — can diagnose and treat your condition to improve your quality of life.
But for people who've experienced whiplash, concussions, or head trauma, the neck might be exactly the cause of their dizziness. Can a pinched nerve in the neck cause dizziness? The short answer is yes. And it's referred to as Cervical Vertigo or Cervicogenic Dizziness.
An MRI scan may reveal a growth or tumor near the ear or the eighth cranial nerve that could be causing tinnitus. Imaging tests can also help doctors evaluate pulsatile tinnitus. They can show changes in the blood vessels near the ears and determine whether an underlying medical condition is causing symptoms.
Diagnosing vertigo isn't always simple. In fact, it can be a tricky and involved process, because people with dizziness often have trouble describing their specific symptoms. First, your doctor will try to find out if you have "true vertigo" by asking about your specific complaints.
Conclusions: A large number of head CT and MRI are made in patients with vertigo and dizziness. A clinical suspicion is recommended from the anamnesis and exploration to make a good selection of test to request. In more than 90% of cases, radiological findings are not shown in relation to vertigo.
If the symptoms are very severe and don't go away, surgery on the vestibular system (the organ of balance) may be considered. This involves destroying either the nerve fibers in the affected semicircular canal, or the semicircular canal itself. The sensory hair cells can then no longer pass information on to the brain.
Driving with Dizziness is Against the Law
If you are dizzy at all or recovering from a vertigo attack, then driving should be avoided.
Anxiety, by itself, does not produce vertigo. However, in association with conditions that do produce vertigo, anxiety can make the vertigo much worse. People with certain anxiety disorders such as panic attacks can sometimes also experience vertigo.
Cancer in the brain: Some cases of dizziness or balance problems may signal the location of cancer. Dizziness may occur as a result of a brain tumor, for example. Cancers in the cerebellum—the lower back part of the brain that controls coordination—often cause these symptoms.
Generally, see your doctor if you experience any recurrent, sudden, severe, or prolonged and unexplained dizziness or vertigo. Get emergency medical care if you experience new, severe dizziness or vertigo along with any of the following: Sudden, severe headache. Chest pain.
If you have been experiencing vertigo for more than a day or two, it's so severe that you can't stand or walk, or you are vomiting frequently and can't keep food down, you should make an appointment with a neurologist.
Acute vertigo is best treated with nonspecific medication such as dimenhydrinate (Dramamine®) and meclizine (Bonine®).