Ever felt lightheaded or dizzy? Believe it or not, it’s often your ears that are to blame, especially if you’ve got vertigo. This month, let’s discuss the differences between dizziness, lightheadedness, and vertigo. Sometimes these conditions are unavoidable, but there are some preventive steps you can take through ear care.

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Lightheadedness vs. Vertigo American Heart Month Dizziness February is American Heart Month. This is a Dizziness is a more general term that is often great time to assess your risk of heart used to describe two different feelings. It is disease using the quiz found on the important to know exactly what you mean American Heart Association’s website, when you say, "I feel dizzy," because it can www.heart.org, and try to prioritize heart help you and your doctor narrow down the health with tips like these: list of possible problems. • Very deep or rapid breathing Eat a healthy diet: Be sure to eat plenty of • Lightheadedness is a feeling that you are (hyperventilation). fresh fruits and vegetables and fewer about to faint or "pass out." Although you processed foods. Healthy eating can also may feel dizzy, you do not feel as though • Anxiety and stress. • The use of tobacco, alcohol, or illegal help lower your risk factors for heart disease. you or your surroundings are moving. Eating foods low in saturated fats, trans fat, drugs. Lightheadedness often goes away or and cholesterol and high in fiber can help • Some prescription medications may improves when you lie down. If prevent high cholesterol. Limiting salt in your cause lightheadedness as a side effect. lightheadedness gets worse, it can lead diet also can lower your blood pressure. to a feeling of almost fainting or a fainting Vertigo Limiting sugar in your diet can help prevent spell. You may sometimes feel or control diabetes. nauseated or vomit when you are Vertigo occurs when there is conflict between lightheaded. the signals sent to the brain by various Get enough exercise: Physical activity can • Vertigo is a feeling that you or your balance- and position-sensing systems of the help you maintain a healthy weight and lower surroundings are moving when there is body. Your brain uses input from four your blood pressure, cholesterol, and sugar no actual movement. You may feel as sensory systems to maintain your sense of levels. For adults, the Surgeon General though you are off balance, spinning, balance and orientation to your surroundings: recommends 2 hours and 30 minutes of whirling, falling, or tilting. When you vision, sensory nerves in your joints, skin moderate-intensity exercise, like brisk have severe vertigo, you may feel very pressure, and the inner ear. walking or bicycling, every week. Children nauseated or vomit. You may have and adolescents should get 1 hour of Common causes of vertigo include: trouble walking or standing, and you may physical activity every day. lose your balance and fall. • Inner ear disorders, such as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo Don’t smoke: Cigarette smoking greatly Lightheadedness (BPPV), Ménière's disease, vestibular increases your risk for heart disease. If you neuritis, or labyrinthitis. don’t smoke, don’t start. If you do smoke, It is common to feel lightheaded from time to quitting will lower your risk for heart disease. time. Brief episodes of lightheadedness are • Injury to the ear or head. Your doctor can suggest ways to help you not usually the result of a serious problem. • Migraine headaches, which are painful, quit. Lightheadedness often is caused by a debilitating headaches that often occur with vertigo, nausea, vomiting, and momentary drop in blood pressure and blood Moderate your alcohol: Avoid drinking too sensitivity to light, noise, and smell. flow to your head that occurs when you get much alcohol, which can raise your blood • Decreased blood flow through the up too quickly from a seated or lying position. pressure. Men should have no more than 2 arteries that supply blood to the base of Ongoing lightheadedness may mean you drinks per day, and women only 1. have a more serious problem that needs to the brain (vertebrobasilar insufficiency). be evaluated. • Some prescription medications may Adapted from https://www.heart.org/ cause vertigo as a side effect. Lightheadedness has many causes, including: Immediate medical attention is needed if • Allergies. vertigo occurs suddenly with a change in • Illnesses such as the flu or colds. Home speech or vision. In that case, it can mean a treatment of your flu and cold symptoms problem in the brain, such as usually will relieve lightheadedness. a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). • Vomiting, diarrhea, fevers, and other Source: U of M Health illnesses that cause dehydration. February 2019

Ear Care puts you at risk for head and ear injuries. • When flying in an airplane, swallow and Your ears need special care. Cleaning is im- yawn frequently when the plane is as- portant, but so is safety from noise and injury. cending and descending to equalize pres- sure in your ears. If you have an upper Cleaning your ears respiratory problem such as a cold or • Clean your ears with extra care. Wipe the sinus infection, take a decongestant a few outer ear with a washcloth or tissue. Do hours before descending, or use a decon- not put anything into your ear smaller than gestant spray just prior to descent and on your elbow. Do not use Q-tips, bobby pins landing. Recipe of the Month: or sharp pointed objects to clean your • Earplugs with special filters can be pur- ears. These objects may injure the ear chased to help equalize air pressure in Pork & Green Chile Stew ears during air travel. canal or eardrum. Let your slow cooker work—while you're • Earwax is the ear's mechanism for self- General care at work!—and come home to a delicious cleaning. If you have a build-up of wax bowl of hearty stew for dinner. It takes just that is blocking your hearing, see your • Have your ears checked regularly by your 25 minutes to prepare in the morning. doctor to have it removed. primary care physician. Have your hearing • If you experience itching or pain in your checked by an audiologist if you or any- Ingredients: ears, consult with your primary care physi- one else questions whether your hearing 2 pounds boneless pork sirloin roast cian to determine the appropriate treat- is normal. Consult an ear physician as or shoulder roast ment and to determine if you need to see necessary. 1 tablespoon vegetable oil a specialist. • When outdoors in sunny weather, remem- ½ cup chopped onion (1 medium) ber to use sunscreen on your ears. 4 cups peeled and cubed potatoes Illness and medications • If you notice unusual bumps or scaly are- (4 medium) • Reduce the risk of ear infections by treat- as on the exterior ear, consult your physi- 3 cups water ing upper respiratory (ears, nose, throat) cian. 1 (15 ounce) can hominy or infections promptly. • See an ear doctor immediately if you in- whole-kernel corn, drained • Drainage from the ear is not normal and jure your ears, experience ear pain, or 2 (4 ounce) cans diced green usually suggests infection. See your doc- notice changes in your ears or hearing. chile peppers, undrained tor as soon as possible. • Know the warning signs of hearing loss: 2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca • Some medications can affect hearing. • Difficulty hearing conversations, es- 1 teaspoon garlic salt Take medications only as directed, and pecially in the presence of back- ½ teaspoon ground cumin consult your doctor if you experience unu- ground noise ½ teaspoon ancho chile powder sual hearing, balance problems, or ringing • Misunderstanding what other people ½ teaspoon ground pepper in the ears. say and answering inappropriately ¼ teaspoon dried oregano, crushed • Requiring the television or radio vol- Chopped fresh cilantro (optional) Noise ume to be louder than others in the Directions: • At home or work, wear hearing protection room prefer Trim fat from meat. Cut the meat into ½- during exposure to loud levels of noise. • Withdrawing from conversations and inch pieces. Cook half of the meat in a This includes mowing the lawn, leaf blow- social situations because it is too large skillet in hot oil over medium-high ing or using power tools. By law, a noisy difficult to hear heat until browned. Using a slotted spoon, work environment requires use of hearing • Reading lips so you can try to follow remove the meat from the skillet. Repeat protection. what people are saying with the remaining meat and the onion. • Ear buds do not protect your hearing. • Noise or ringing within your ears or Drain off fat. Transfer all of the meat and Also, listening to music while using power head, called tinnitus, which is not the onion to a 3½- to 4½-quart slow tools is dangerous to your hearing and caused by an external sound source cooker. should be avoided. • When using personal sound systems, the Adapted from Cleveland Clinic Stir in potatoes, the water, hominy, green volume should be at a comfortable level. If chile peppers, tapioca, garlic salt, cumin, someone else can hear what you are lis- ancho chile powder, ground pepper, and tening to, the volume is too high. Remove oregano. Cover and cook on Low for 7 to the headphones from time to time to give 8 hours or on High for 4 to 5 hours. If your ears a rest. desired, garnish with cilantro. • Wear earplugs at rock concerts, night- Nutrition Information, per 1-2/3 cup serving: clubs and motor sporting events. Calories 180; Fat 4 g (Saturated 1 g); Cholesterol 37 mg; Sodium 251 mg; Carbohydrate 23 g; Fiber 3 g; Safety issues Protein 15 g; Sugars 2 g • Always wear a helmet when you bike, ski, Source: Eating Well and roller blade or in any other activity that