Treatment of dizziness in the elderly. Causes, symptoms, drugs

As people grow older, they face many unpleasant symptoms, one of which is dizziness. Vertigo ( lat . - vertigo) - loss of orientation of the body in space. Unfortunately, no one is able to resist changes in our body that occur in conjunction with the aging process, and dizziness treatment in older people becomes more relevant, even than a cold or flu. And the younger generation often faces this problem. More and more often among other complaints the doctors hear: the head is very dizzy.

Let's see what are the symptoms of dizziness, what is the cause of this ailment, how to get rid of it.

Causes

The function of maintaining equilibrium is provided by the vestibular apparatus, which is located in the stony part of the temporal bone and resembles a labyrinth in its structure. Most often, it is the irregularities in the work of this apparatus that cause dizziness in the elderly. The causes of these failures are poor blood supply to the labyrinth due to changes in blood properties, atherosclerotic plaques, microthrombi. It is these problems in the body that cause these symptoms. Vertigo in this case is associated only with local disturbances in the work of the apparatus and is characterized as peripheral. There is also central - in this case, attacks of dizziness are associated with brain damage, for example, if there are tumors, strokes.

Systemic and non-systemic dizziness

Also, systemic and non-systemic vertigo is distinguished.

• Inconsistent dizziness is caused by neurogenic disorders, including stress, overfatigue, various somatic diseases - arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus. At the same time, sometimes darkens in the eyes and dizzy.
• Systemic dizziness is associated with a malfunction in one of the systems of the vestibular apparatus, for example, the visual analyzer, and is felt as the movement of the body in space, the movement of objects.

A sharp dizziness can cause an elementary hunger. This is a separate situation. In this case, medication for dizziness in elderly people is not required.

Diseases accompanied by dizziness

• Diseases of the ear - acute and chronic otitis media, otosclerosis.
• Migraine - darkens in the eyes and dizzy one hour before the attack.
• Diseases of the cerebellum - tumors, degeneration of the structure.
• Neurological diseases - multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease.
• Oncological diseases of the brain - seizures develop gradually and intensify with a change in the inclination of the head.
• The defeat of the cervical spine is trauma, deforming ostosis.
• Seasickness.
• Neuropsychiatric disorders.
• Meniere's disease - the patient not only has a dizziness and weakness, but also a noise in the ears and vomiting.
• Cervical osteochondrosis - darkens in the eyes and dizzy with sudden movements in the cervical region, there is pain, limited movement.
• Prelimiptic fistula is characterized by loss of hearing, noise in the ears, nausea, vomiting, dizziness.
• Dark in the eyes and dizzy - a frequent symptom of vertebrobasillar insufficiency. This ailment occurs with atherosclerotic lesions of large vessels, hypertension and discirculatory encephalopathy - very frequent "companions" of the elderly.
• Sharp dizziness develops in acute disorders of cerebral blood supply - ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke of the brainstem and cerebellum. But that is not all. In neurological disorders, not only does the head become very dizzy, but other neurological symptoms are manifested - tinnitus, "flies" before the eyes, nausea, vomiting, so treatment should begin with the complete collection of all symptoms.
• Pathological changes in the eye muscles - with frequent changes in the picture before the eyes, the muscular apparatus does not have time to focus.

Medicines that cause dizziness

A list of drugs whose side effect is dizziness is inexhaustible. To them it is possible to carry:

• Analgesics (painkillers);
• Antianginal drugs;
• Antihypertensive;
• Beta-blockers;
• Diuretics;
• Cardiac glycosides;
• Antibiotics;
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
• Antidepressants;
• Tranquilizers;
• Sleeping pills;
• Anticonvulsant;
• A number of antibiotics-aminoglycosides possess a special otochekostnoy - "Streptomycin", "Kanamycin", "Neomycin."

Research problem

Diagnosis and treatment of dizziness in the elderly is a laborious process. Therefore, there is a specific scheme for examining such a patient. It includes:

• Determination of the type of dizziness.
• Clarification of the causes of its occurrence.
• Elucidation of neurologic or ENT symptoms.
• Additional instrumental methods of examination depending on the pathology revealed during physical examination and questioning.

Anamnesis and external examination

At the very beginning of the examination it is necessary to reveal the very fact of having dizziness. Elderly patients tend to take some symptoms for others, and the concept of dizziness is invested with a different meaning - nausea, impaired vision.

Of great importance is the neurological examination of the patient himself - to pay attention to the precise performance of tasks for coordination, to determine the state of reflexes. It is necessary to find out the nature of the development of the disease, the factors that provoke it. For example, a slow, gradual onset is more typical for vertigo of the central genesis, and spontaneous and rapid - for the peripheral. Local disturbances (ear noise, hearing loss) are typical for peripheral dizziness, and symptoms of damage to the cortex and brainstem are for the central. Severe multiple vomiting without relief speaks of vestibular pathological processes.

Carry out a diagnosis in various positions of the body, this, too, can say a lot, for example, ask the patient to lower his head to one side. If, when head position changes, there is an increase or a sudden occurrence of dizziness, this indicates that the disorders most likely arose in the vestibular apparatus, and they are benign.

The patient is asked about all the inflammatory, autoimmune diseases, intoxications (medicinal, alcoholic), head injuries. When performing a neurologic examination, much attention is paid to nystagmus.

Nystagmus is involuntary fluctuations in the eyeballs of high frequency. Check spontaneous nystagmus - when looking straight ahead, then when you translate it to the side (called nystagmus). Conduct a Hallpike test - a patient with open eyes sitting on the couch, his head at 45 degrees turned to the right. Supporting the patient by the shoulders, they are asked to quickly fall to the back in such a way that the head freely hangs from the edge of the couch. Then the same is done with the head turned to the other side, that is to the left.

ENT examination consists in examination of the external auditory canal, tympanic membrane, detection of sulfur plugs, acute and chronic infections, traces of trauma.

Laboratory and instrumental diagnostics

Conduct CT and MRI to exclude tumors, demyelinating processes, pay attention to the presence of structural changes, congenital or acquired. If there is a suspicion of new or chronic fractures, a radiograph of the skull bones is performed.

If there are suspicions of vascular disorders, refer to ultrasound dopplerography of the main vessels of the head and neck.

Conduct an overall blood test to exclude infectious processes, if an agent is identified, antibodies to it are determined.

Tone audiometry is performed if the patient has concomitant hearing impairment. The researcher is offered to drink "Glycerol", which allows to detect an improved perception of low frequencies and improves the perception of speech. If this symptom is positive, then this indicates a disease Meniere, a frequent sign of which are attacks of dizziness.

Dizziness, which is combined with hypochondria, apathy, unfounded painful sensations, decreased mental abilities, indicates the presence of a neurological or psychiatric illness.

Dizziness in old age. Treatment

Drug therapy is prescribed by a specialist after a complete examination and on the basis of factors that were identified during the examination of the patient. It depends entirely on the cause that caused this ailment. Treatment of dizziness in the elderly is a laborious process.

An important role is played by the administration of drugs that tone the vascular bed and prevent the occurrence of labyrinth ischemia, which improve trophism and tissue metabolism (Cavinton, Memoplant, Sermion). "Vazobral" improves blood circulation in the brain, reduces the permeability of vascular walls and increases the resistance of brain tissue to a lack of oxygen. It is necessary to carefully select the drugs for dizziness in old age.

Among modern drugs, the most effective drugs are considered to be based on betagestine dihydrochloride. They include medicines "Betaserk", "Betavirin", "Vestibo", "Tagista". But they will be ineffective if they are not prescribed together with drugs that affect the identified mechanisms of development of vertigo and balance disorders. Among the often prescribed are medicines to eliminate depressive and anxiety disorders.

Doctors choose the means of symptomatic therapy, which are aimed at correcting the existing somatic, orthopedic or neurological pathologies that contributed to the development of dizziness. So, for example, levodopa drugs are used to treat Parkinson's disease, if a patient has atrial fibrillation, the patient needs to take appropriate antiarrhythmic drugs, if the cancer is detected, the patient goes to the oncologist for further examination and treatment in the appropriate oncology unit.

If the patient's condition allows and does not reveal gross violations in the work of the body, it is very useful to exercise gymnastics, outdoor walks should be carried out more often, and most importantly - to see if the symptoms have appeared again. Dizziness may return.

Therapy with folk methods

Together with the drugs prescribed by the attending physician, you can use the methods of traditional medicine. When the darkness in my eyes and dizzy, Will help the gifts of nature.

Mixture of herbs

To treat dizziness, you can also use chamomile flowers, melissa flowers and valerian root in equal proportions. A tablespoon of this composition is brewed with hot water in two glasses. Insist the drug one night, and in the morning, add there two teaspoons of honey and the same amount of apple cider vinegar. Take the medicine on an empty stomach about half an hour before a meal two times a day. The duration of such therapy is two weeks.

Ginger

Ginger root grind to the state of powder and in this state use inside a quarter teaspoon three times a day, washing down with warm water. If the head is spinning and weakness prevents working, then this is just the best option, because the root of ginger tones and improves performance.

Hawthorn

Hawthorn grass is widely used to treat problems associated with vascular disease, the drug perfectly removes spasm from the musculature of the vessels and tones. To prepare the medicine you need to collect inflorescences in the amount of four tablespoons, grind them to the state of the powder and pour a liter of boiling water. Infuse for fifteen minutes, eat three times daily before meals.

Garlic

Everyone knows the healing effect of garlic. The substances included in its composition have antimicrobial, antiviral and tonic properties. It is better to eat garlic in combination with ginger. To do this, chop garlic in garlic, ginger grate on a fine grater, combine the two components and mix thoroughly. Use inside by a teaspoon, you can add to the food as a seasoning.

Conclusion

If symptoms of dizziness occur, you should immediately consult a doctor to avoid serious pathologies. Independently taking medications for dizziness in old age is not recommended in order to avoid the progression of the disease. Consultation of the neurologist, the otorhinolaryngologist, the therapist is required. Be healthy!