Urgent Care vs. Emergency Care – Going for Vertigo Treatment
Vertigo and dizziness are often confused. However, they are not the same. When you feel a dizziness during which the room feels like it is spinning or you are spinning, this is known as vertigo. When you have vertigo, it is important for you to define exactly what you feel to the medical expert. Some people usually confuse vertigo for feeling lightheaded. Here at Frontline ER, we usually get some case of vertigo. We are going to help you understand when a vertigo attack warrants a visit to the ER and when to go to the urgent care center.
Understanding Vertigo
Vertigo, in the simplest terms, is the loss of balance where you are unable to stand upright on your feet. In fact, you lose a sense of up and down. Nausea and even vomiting usually follow this loss of balance. In some cases, sweating is usually present. Even when you lie down, the room will usually seem to be spinning around you. These symptoms can continue for days or weeks.
On the other hand, being lightheaded is when you stand up too straight and you feel like you are about to faint. In some cases, the room will even go black. This is usually a sign that you do not have enough oxygen reaching your brain.
When to Stay at Home for Vertigo
Some people experience vertigo on a regular basis. Sometimes it happens when they are lying down or their head is in a certain position. If you often experience this kind of vertigo, there is usually no need to visit a medical center. In some cases, you may avoid a certain position that causes you to experience vertigo. When you do finally get into this position, your vertigo is going to be quite intense. However, it will usually disappear after a few minutes on its own.
In general, any vertigo that only lasts a few minutes and then disappears is not a cause for a hospital visit. Additionally, if you have been diagnosed with an illness such as Meniere’s disease, there will usually be no need to visit a medical facility. It is especially so if you already have medication to treat the condition. If your Meniere’s disease is bad enough, you will eventually experience hearing loss over time.
If you are generally a healthy person, who has never been diagnosed with a major illness and you do not have a family history of any illness, you should go to an urgent care. This is especially so when the symptoms come on suddenly and they are severe. In most cases, you will be given anti-motion sickness medication and a few basic tests will be conducted. This will help to eliminate any chances of it being something worse.
When to Visit an Urgent Care Center
If you have vestibular neuronitis, you may need to visit the urgent care center. This type of illness is usually acute and intense and vertigo can last for a few days or weeks. If you experience a bout of this illness and you do not have any medication, you may need to visit the urgent care center. Here you will be given a prescription to help you deal with your situation.
When to go to the ER
The ER is a place where you should go for serious emergencies. If your vertigo lasts more than a few hours and you are above the age of 60, you should go to the ER. This is because as you get older, any symptoms that cause you to lose balance are quite telling. They could indicate that your blood vessels have been blocked in the brain.
Besides that, if you have other symptoms such as high blood pressure, this should be a clear sign for you to visit the ER. It is also worrying if you suffer from high cholesterol or you are obese. In such a case, visit the ER would be a prudent decision. Additionally, if you have ever experienced a stroke in the past, you need to go for a visit to the ER. It might be a sign that you are about to experience another stroke.
Vertigo is rarely life-threatening
There are very few times that vertigo is usually life-threatening. However, most patients with vertigo are usually initially concerned that they are experiencing a brain tumor or stroke. However, vertigo is rarely indicative of such. In most cases, if you experience mild vertigo, MRI scans and CT scans are rarely recommended.
However, there are things you can do to reduce the symptoms of vertigo. For one, you could start by reducing the amount of salt in your diet since ears are sensitive to salt. Besides that, you can try to cut down your weight. This is because overweight people usually have more issues with balance. You should also try to stay active since physically fit people have fewer balance issues.
