Growing Pains: Understanding Vertigo's Impact on Children's Wellbeing

Many times children are not able to understand the sudden changes in their health. In such a situation, parents should keep in mind that if children behave differently or feel some discomfort, then take action immediately. For this, it is important to recognize the symptoms of dizziness in the child, which are as follows -

• Feeling Lightheaded Or Dizzy
• Loss Of Balance
• Difficulty In Understanding And Thinking Properly
• Blurred Vision
• Feeling Nauseous
• Headache
• Child Feeling Scared Or Not Understanding
• Hearing Loss Or Whistling Sound In The Ears

(Read more - Malnutrition)

If there is a problem of dizziness, then it is important to know the reason behind it. Common reasons for dizziness in a child can be as follows -

Ear infection is considered to be the main reason behind vertigo. This infection can be of two types -

• Vestibular neuritis is an infection, usually of one of the two vestibular nerves inside the ear. These nerves send messages to the brain to balance the body, but due to swelling in them, functioning can be disrupted. Vestibular neuritis can be caused by infections like flu, chicken pox, measles and rubella.
• Labyrinthitis is also an infection that is usually viral and can sometimes be bacterial. It affects the vestibular and cochlear nerves. Along with vertigo, it can also affect hearing ability.

(Read more - Migraine in Children)

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo occurs when calcium carbonate crystals move from part of the ear into the semicircular canal, blocking the fluid-filled tube. It is this fluid which can help in maintaining the balance of the body. This is common in children. Usually children of 2 or 3 years of age are more affected by this.

(Read more - Diabetes in children)

Vestibular migraine is the most common cause of dizziness in children. At present, it is difficult to say exactly why this happens, but genetics are thought to play a role and may be due to the constriction of blood vessels around the brain.

Other reasons for dizziness or vertigo in a child are as follows -

• Head Or Neck Injury
• Vestibular Disorders Or Balance Disorders Related To The Inner Ear
• Medicines
• Stress And Anxiety

(Read more - Lead poisoning in children)

Other Causes

Some other causes of vertigo in children include:

• Head Or Neck Injury
• Vestibular Disorders, Or Balance Disorders Relating To The Inner Ear
• Medications
• Emotions Like Stress And Anxiety
• Psychiatric Disorders (May Cause Psychogenic Vertigo)

The treatment of dizziness in children depends on its cause. If the child is feeling dizzy due to ear infection, the doctor may ask him to take the child to an ENT doctor. Apart from this, the physical balance of the child can be checked. As per requirement, the doctor can also conduct further tests on the child and treat him as per his report.

(Read more - Sleep problems in children)

One study found that children ages 12 to 17 were most commonly at risk for dizziness and vertigo:

• Neck And Shoulder Pain
• Tension
• Migraine
• Mental Disorders Such As Depression And Anxiety

Another study found these risk factors for children ages 3 to 17:

• Difficulty Hearing
• Limited Child's Ability To Crawl, Walk Or Play
• Frequent Headaches Or Migraines
• Delayed Development

  Different risk factors were also found in girls and boys.

In Boys:

• Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Stammer

In Girls:

• Anemia
• Difficulty Hearing
• Respiratory Allergies

Do not ignore the problem of dizziness in the child and if it happens again and again, then talk to the doctor. It is possible that sometimes the child may feel dizzy due to normal reasons or due to tiredness due to excessive playing, so there is no need to panic. If this happens again and again, then be alert and talk to an expert.