Vertigo is that dreadful situation when the world suddenly starts to whirl and jump around you or when it seems that you have moved or are moving when in reality you are not. Most common form of vertigo is known as Benign Positional Paroxysmal Vertigo (BPPV), which manifests itself as a brief vertigo attack. In most cases, cause for BPPV is unknown, but viral infection, previous head injury or certain drug therapies are known to cause it. Brief vertigo attacks in BPPV cases are triggered by certain changes in head position. Most BPPV cases resolve spontaneously within weeks or months, while few cases last for years.
Other forms of the vertigo than BPPV may be caused by reduced blood circulation in some areas of the brain, infection of the inner ear and diseases such as Ménière's disease. Vertigo can also be a symptom of various other conditions, such as panic attacks, migraine headaches and sinusitis, or metabolic problems like hypoglycemia, diabetes, high blood triglycerides and hypothyroidism.
Vertigo sufferers should undergo a thorough medical examination in order to determine the underlying cause for their condition and adequate therapy should be prescribed and carried out by a physician versed in vertigo treatment.Some medications intended for treatment of vertigo may cause side effects. Those wishing to avoid the risk might use herbal remedies for vertigo.
Ginkgo as vertigo remedy
Natural properties of ginkgo leaves, such as its antioxidant attributes, made it one of the most popular herbs in treatment of a number of conditions. One of these conditions is vertigo. Ginkgo is available in a variety of forms suited for medicinal use. Among these are capsules, tablets, dried leafs for preparing tea, liquid extracts and standardized extracts whose flavonoid content ranges from 24 percent to 32 percent and whose terpenoid content ranges from 6 percent to 12 percent.
A number of study results, involving preliminary and double-blind trials (neither the testers nor the subjects know what is placebo and what is medication until the testing is complete, to ensure unbiased results), show that use of ginkgo causes significant reduction of vertigo.
It should be noted that ginkgo alters metabolism and can thus affect proper functioning of other medications. It is therefore recommended to consult a specialist prior to using ginkgo and determine possible issues that may arise from simultaneous use of ginkgo and other medications.
Other herbal remedies
Few herbs beside ginkgo can help with vertigo. These are chaparral tea, dandelion extract, powdered ginger, butcher's broom and cayenne.
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