Vertigo is a nervous disorder, where a person loses control over his bodily movements. He/she also feels a sensation of dizziness or light-headedness, due to imbalance. People affected with vertigo need support from others as he always feels that he falls onto the ground if he attempts to move. Vertigo is not considered as a chronic condition by itself. But the person affected with vertigo feels that objects around him are moving in the archaic form. Vertigo is always associated with nausea most of the times.
Reasons & Causes
There are several causes for vertigo. The important ones include
- Disorders of digestion and gas formation
- Impaired eyesight
- Impaired functioning of nervous system
- Severe migraine attacks
- Poor blood circulation
- Sexual incompetence
- Attacks of epilepsy
- Brain tumour
- Lack of sleep
- Fatigue.
- Ear disease due to fluid imbalance
Among them, the main causes of vertigo are diseases affecting the inner ear.
Ayurveda & Vertigo
Vertigo is referred to as Brahma and it combines with vitiated pitta and vitiated Vata and cause a spinning like sensation.
Herbs
The herbs generally used are Giloy (Tinospora cordifolia), Vacha (Acorus calamus), Pitpapda (Fumaria Officinalis), Yavasa (Alhagi pseudalbagi), and Sariva (Hemidesmus indicus).
Ayurvedic Treatment for Vertigo
There are several medications provided for the treatment of vertigo in Ayurveda.
- ‘Duralabha Quath’ (50ml): Mix it with ghee twice daily.
- ‘Suvarna Sootashekhar Ras’ (50 to 60mg): Take it twice a day with juice /decoction of Amla.
- Mix ‘Ashwagandharishta’ and ‘Saraswatarishta’ (10ml each), either alone, or with 20 ml of water, and consume twice daily.
- Mix powdered whole plant of ‘Sankhapushpi’ (1-2 gms) and mix with 100 to 250ml milk. This should be taken twice a day.
- ‘Yogendra ras’ (120mg): Mix with milk and take it twice daily.
- If vertigo is caused due to insomnia, take only Ashwagandharishta (10ml) or its powder (1/2 tsp) with water.
- In the case of constipation due to vertigo, take Amaltas (6gm) with a decoction of Haritaki at night during bedtime.
- An important Panchkarma treatment ‘Shirodhara’, is also an effective remedy for vertigo.
Home Remedies:
There are a lot of home remedies available for vertigo.
- Steep 1 teaspoon each of dried amla powder and coriander seeds in water overnight. Strain it, add sugar if required, and drink the next morning. Repeat for a few days
- Heat 2 tablespoon sesame oil (til ka tel), and mix in half teaspoon each of finely powdered cardamom and cinnamon. Apply this on the head.
- Mix about 8 almonds with 8 kernels of pumpkin seeds, 1 teaspoon of poppy seeds and 3 tablespoons wheat. Soak in water overnight.
After this, on the next morning, remove the outer skin of almonds and grind to a fine paste. In a separate pan, heat 2 tsp ghee and fry half teaspoon cloves. Add the paste to it along with some milk and boil the whole mixture. Sweeten with sugar, if required, and have over the next few days.
Precautions and Exercises
One should take extra precautions when attacked with vertigo. Here are a few tips.
- People attacked with vertigo should not move alone, especially while taking the stairs.
- It should be a strict no-no to tobacco, alcohol, and narcotic drugs.
- Make sure the diet is simple, light and spice-free.
- Try not to operate machinery and self-driving.
Diet & Lifestyle
Taking care of diet is extremely important for a person affected with vertigo.
They should take lots of vegetables, fruits. Avoid excess salt intake. Junk food is a strict no. Have more poppy seeds, raisins, citrus fruits. The most important thing is rest. One should take more rest than before along with proper sleep.
Conclusion
Even though there are many reasons and causes for vertigo, one should understand the real cause for it and take treatment accordingly. Besides taking treatment, the patient should be strict in his diet plans and exercise. Only then, the disease can be warded off completely.