Conditions:
Vertigo

Related Terms
  • Dizziness, Benign Positional Vertigo, Meniere's Disease, Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, Vertiginous Syndrome
Principal Proposed Treatments
  • · There are no well-established natural treatments for vertigo.
Other Proposed Treatments
  • Ginkgo, Ginger, Oxerutins, Vitamin B6, Hypnosis

Vertigo is closely related to dizziness, but involves the perception of actually seeing the room spin about you, similar to what happens when you spin around rapidly and then stop. Often, vertigo is accompanied by nausea and a loss of balance. Vertigo may pass quickly, or it may last for hours or even days.

There are many possible causes of vertigo including motion sickness, infection in the inner ear, vision problems, head injury, insufficient blood supply to the brain, and brain tumors. A condition called benign paroxysmal positional vertigo leads to attacks of vertigo triggered by certain head positions; its cause is believed to be deposits of calcium in the inner ear. Another condition, Meniere's disease, is characterized by sudden, intense attacks of vertigo often accompanied by nausea and vomiting, along with ringing in the ears and progressive deafness. Its cause is unknown.

Conventional treatments for vertigo depend upon the cause and severity of the condition. Drugs for motion sickness and mild vertigo of any cause include meclizine, dimenhydrinate, and perphenazine. Scopolamine is prescribed for severe motion sickness. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is often treated through a series of exercises which help to alleviate symptoms.^1,2 For Meniere's disease, changes in diet are often recommended (including limiting sodium, sugar, and alcohol intake), sometimes in combination with diuretic drugs.

Proposed Treatments for Vertigo

Several natural treatments have been tried for vertigo; however, the scientific evidence for these treatments is very preliminary at this time.

Ginkgo biloba

A double-blind placebo-controlled study of 67 people with vertigo found that 160 mg of Ginkgo biloba extract per day significantly reduced symptoms compared to placebo.³ At the end of the 3-month study, 47% of the ginkgo group had completely recovered, as compared to only 18% of the placebo group.

For more information, including dosage and safety issues, see the full ginkgo article.

Ginger

Evidence suggests that the herb ginger can be helpful for motion sickness.

One study enrolled 36 college students with a known tendency toward motion sickness.⁴ They were given either ginger or the standard antinausea drug dimenhydrinate, and then placed in a rotating chair to see how much they could tolerate. Both treatments seemed about equally effective.

Another study also found equivalent benefit between ginger and dimenhydrinate in a group of 60 passengers on a cruise through rough seas.⁵ A later study of 79 Swedish naval cadets found that ginger could decrease vomiting and cold sweating, but didn't significantly decrease nausea and vertigo.⁶ In addition, a small double-blind study evaluated whether ginger could help with experimentally induced vertigo.⁷ Ginger root powder significantly reduced vertigo compared to the placebo.

However, a 1984 study funded by NASA found that ginger was not any more effective than placebo.⁸ Two other small studies have also failed to find any benefit.^9,10 The reason for this discrepancy in results may lie in the type of ginger used or the severity of the stimulus used to bring on motion sickness.

Other Natural Treatments

The supplements oxerutins and vitamin B₆ are sometimes recommended for vertigo; however, the evidence supporting these treatments is very preliminary.^11,12

Hypnosis has been tried for vertigo resulting from head trauma, with some apparent success.¹³

Last reviewed March 2002 by Medical Review Board

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