Hilo? It Might Be Vertigo

Iris Palma in Health

Feb 18, 2021 • 2 min Read

When I reached my 40s, I got dizzy spells that accelerated over time. They usually occurred in the mornings on my way to work. The heat would start in my face, go down to my neck, to my arms, then go up as chills with minimal sweats, the vision would close in as nausea takes over. I did not know how I looked but I could see the faces of people in front of me —they step aside thinking that I would vomit or fall in a heap on the floor. No one cared and that made matters worse.

Visits to the doctor meant tests for an ear infection but they came out good. No infection, but I was given anti-vertigo medicine that did nothing to bring down giddiness. The good thing about these dizzy spells —the physician called them giddiness— was that they overwhelmed tension headaches and demoted hypertension.

A few years later, these dizzy spells became less and less frequent while on maintenance for hypertension. Then 2019 came. Dizzy was back with vengeance and was accompanied with nausea. There was spinning, tilting, and swaying. I could not speak for fear that I might vomit. I was so close to tears. Expensive anti-vertigo medicine (I remembered that Serc was more than 50 pesos per tablet!) was prescribed at the emergency room but these did not immediately lessen the giddiness in the days that followed. It took a week to be normal.

Then 2020 came and brought lockdown, pandemic, cabin fever, fears, and a whole lot more. I now have more pronounced vertigo spells every month. I could not focus my eyes, I could not look sideways, and sleeping did not help at all. Because it had been so long that I last took anti-vertigo medicines, I forgot what they were and bought lower dosage medicines (generic name: betahistine dihydrochloride 16mg) that were not helpful at all.

It is 2021 and we are into this new normal with the troublesome Covid19 concern hanging over our heads. I am now in my third month of warding off vertigo by going to bed on time and sleeping at least 7 hours, drinking enough water, and trying to be less stressed about life and work. I am determined to be free of vertigo and avoid taking anti-vertigo medicines (I keep cinnarazine in my wallet though). I just might win against vertigo. Tinnitus or ringing in the ear is one sign that vertigo is setting in and it tells me to rest more in the coming days.

If you are about my age —early 50s— and feel hilo or giddy most of the time and hear ringing in your ear, then you just might be experiencing vertigo.

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