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As a nurse, it’s not always easy to help patients alleviate their symptoms that come along with vertigo. Each patient is unique, which means that each symptom also presents itself in unique ways and severities. With so many variables, it can often seem overly taxing for medical professionals to know how to help patients who are looking for relief. There are some key points nurses need to keep in mind in order to help them become better caregivers of patients who suffer from vertigo.
Is Vertigo an Official Dx for the Patient?
The first step in helping patients with vertigo is to make sure they’ve actually been diagnosed with it. Remember: Vertigo is a symptom, not an illness itself. It’s vital that the nurse and the patient both keep in mind that to relieve vertigo is to relieve a symptom; it cannot actually be cured unless the underlying cause is cured. Even though vertigo is a result of some other condition, it still brings with it its own group of symptoms including dizziness, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, and more.
Familiarize Yourself with Types and Treatments
It would behoove nurses to know that there are various treatments available for patients who are vertigo sufferers. Although there are different causes of vertigo, the good news is that different treatments are effective for each of those types. For example, if you have a patient that suffers from BPPV vertigo, which is one of the more common types, the Epley maneuver has proven to be an effective treatment for it. There are other treatments that might help your patient more if they have Labyrinthitis, Meniere’s Disease, or other conditions that cause vertigo.
Watch for Over-Medicated Patients
It can sometimes be easy for patients to become over-medicated in their attempts to relieve the effects of vertigo, simply because the patient could be suffering from several symptoms at once. As a nurse, you are already familiar with the dangers of anyone being under the influence of too many drugs at once, and with vertigo, it’s not unheard of for patients to actually be suffering from some symptoms of over-mediating. If your patient did not originally suffer from nausea and an upset stomach with their vertigo but they do now, for example, be sure to look over their medication lists for interactions that could be causing nausea and stomach issues.
Encouraging Natural Remedies
Whether your patient is concerned over the use of chemical medications for vertigo or not, you may want to consider introducing him or her to the idea of trying natural remedies as an alternative or additional means of finding relief. Exercises, staying hydrated, holding your head in the right way, and even ginger can help. Also, an all-natural, OTC option that is very effective is DiVertigo, available everywhere from Kroger to CVS, and it provides relief in less than 5 minutes. Patients put one drop of DiVertigo behind an ear when dizziness begins, or they can use it as a preventive measure before symptoms appear. DiVertigo can quickly ease or relieve symptoms for patients who suffer from any type of vertigo, it’s safe for adults and kids, there are no side effects, and it’s doctor-recommended, as well.
Patients rely on nurses like you to do more than just document their symptoms when they are suffering from vertigo; when they come into the office or care center, they hope you’ll understand what they are going through and that you might be able to help them relieve their symptoms. It’s crucial that you take the time to ensure that a proper diagnosis has been made or will be attempted to be made in order to offer them the best chance at finding relief that will actually help with their symptoms. Don’t assume that one person’s vertigo is exactly like another’s, even if they both have been diagnosed with the same type of vertigo. It can be so distressing to have vertigo ruin your life. When you help them feel better, you’re the real hero.
