This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s spring editorial intern Eli Casas. Find them on Instagram at @elicasasnow. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
During your youth, everything seems permanent or guaranteed. You don’t contemplate the what-ifs as much as you do when you’re older. One night, I went to sleep with that same exact mentality and woke up with a new perspective. Who wants to think about having vertigo in your 20s? No one. To be transparent, it’s unlikely that many people in their 20s even know what vertigo is unless someone around them has it. Knowing the term itself and its meaning is insufficient to understand how complex it feels when it presents itself.
Beyond The Meaning
If you conduct a Google search of the term vertigo, it will tell you that it’s a condition where someone feels “a sensation of spinning or whirling, where the person or their surroundings feel like they are moving.” However, if you were to ask me to describe it, it’s when your eyes play mind games with your brain, and everything is moving at a different speed than it actually is. You know that sensation you feel when you dream that you are falling? Well, it’s like that, but your brain legitimately thinks you’re on the verge of falling.
I woke up one day in my late 20s feeling disoriented, and it made no sense because I hadn’t done anything new the night before. Yet, I woke up feeling drunk, which I wasn’t. You would freak out too, if you felt drunk in the morning, and you knew that couldn’t be the case, not even a little, because you don’t drink.
In a state of panic, I couldn’t think straight, but I knew I needed to talk it out, so naturally, I called my dad. The conversation went something like this: “Hey, Dad, I feel weird, dizzy, like I’m dizzy drunk, but I don’t drink, so I’m confused. Umm, send help!” LOL.
I can laugh about it now, but at that moment, I felt scared.
When I Was Diagnosed
This wasn’t one of those moments when I could look up home remedies to feel better or purchase over-the-counter medication. I knew I had to make my way to the emergency room because my primary doctor couldn’t see me right away. After speaking to my doctor, I got a ride to the ER. The suspense began filling every wall in the waiting room. The car ride there alone was awful, but I was about to learn the true feeling of lousy.
Essentially, they diagnosed me with vertigo and told me it would perhaps subside with time. My best option was to schedule a follow-up with my primary doctor to explore possible treatment plans. So, there I was, standing in line at the pharmacy to get the medication they told me would possibly help me feel better.
A week passed, and the medication wasn’t working in the way you would expect. It made me sleepy, which was not entirely helpful. At the time, I was finishing community college and needed to be productive. I decided to stop taking the medication as I was looking for a treatment plan that would change my circumstances, not suppress them.
About two weeks passed before I could see my doctor. She told me that it was best to continue taking the medication and to wait for it to pass. That appointment left me with little hope. It felt like no matter how much I advocated for myself, no one knew how to treat my condition in a way that would bring me back to the quality of life I had prior.
What Really Is Vertigo?
In addition to what I described earlier, vertigo is a condition accompanied by multiple symptoms, such as dizziness, balance issues, headaches, motion sickness, and more. There are even different types of vertigo.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, vertigo ranges from peripheral to subtypes and central. Peripheral vertigo is usually caused by inner ear conditions. Subtypes of vertigo vary but can sometimes lead to hearing loss. On the other hand, central vertigo is usually connected to head injuries or even infections. The cause of vertigo also varies case by case.
How It Changed My Life
At 27, I was forced to change my perspective on life. For a second, I couldn’t do regular things well, and my quality of life drastically changed from one day to another.
By the time I hit three weeks with vertigo, my next physical therapy appointment rolled around. I remember I was on the verge of tears as I walked in and greeted Michelle. I spared her the details of how helpless I felt, but I wanted her to know that I had new restrictions due to my vertigo diagnosis. Aside from maybe some accommodations, I wasn’t expecting much to come out of sharing that.
When she informed me that they also offered physical therapy for vertigo, I immediately booked a consultation and a session. Michelle changed my life that day. She gave me hope, and I finally felt I could regain my quality of life.
It got worse before I felt better that day. Physical therapy for vertigo was both life-changing and intense because it consisted of different exercises, which made all the symptoms more amplified.
That wasn’t the first time I barfed, but it was one of my top ten moments.
I would love to tell you that my vertigo disappeared and crawled into the darkest hole on earth, but it hasn’t. Over the years, I’ve learned to live with it, and some restrictions still apply to my daily life. For example, I don’t go to extreme heights or ride roller coasters. Additionally, I avoid moving my head too fast or walking around without my glasses.
Does It Get Easier?
Experiencing vertigo in your 20s is rough. I can’t tell you whether or not it gets easier because it’s a unique condition to develop so young or at any age, for that matter. However, I can’t emphasize enough how advocating for yourself can sometimes surprise you. The biggest challenge sometimes is shifting our perspectives and learning how to pivot through obstacles. Yet, it doesn’t always have to be a negative outlook.
Have you experienced vertigo in your 20s? Let us know in the comments below.
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