Essential Oils to Soothe and Prevent Vertigo Attacks

Using Essential Oils to Find Relief from Vertigo

Vertigo is a frustrating condition characterized by sudden attacks of the sensation of spinning, swaying, tilting, or whirling. What causes these bouts of dizziness, nausea, and loss of balance? Let's explore how essential oils could help provide natural relief for vertigo episodes.

What Triggers Sudden Vertigo Attacks

Vertigo stems from problems with the complex vestibular system composed of inner ear canals, sensory nerves, and small crystals that signal head and spatial movements to the brain. When this delicate apparatus gets disrupted, it leads to mismatch between visual perceptions and balance sensations.

Common triggers causing flare-ups include:

• Inner ear infections
• Calcium carbonate crystal displacements
• Inflammation compressing nerves
• Viruses damaging vestibular hair cells
• Head trauma or injuries

Since pharmaceutical medications like meclizine or benzodiazepines can cause unwelcome side effects, natural essential oil remedies provide gentler symptom relief options worth exploring.

Soothing Nausea and Dizziness

Two of the most troublesome vertigo symptoms making even basic tasks difficult include intense nausea and sudden dizziness. Thankfully several essential oils have clinically demonstrated antinausea and antidizzy effects through various physiological mechanisms.

Ginger Oil

Derived from ginger root, this oil minimizes nausea by reducing gastric irritation and vestibular dysfunction. Its anti-inflammatory gingerols inhibit neurotransmitters provoking vomiting while improving digestion.

Rub several drops behind ears or add to a warm footbath during attacks. Its spicy aroma also energizes to counteract lightheaded wooziness.

Peppermint Oil

Menthol-rich peppermint oil triggers TRPM8 cold receptors in the skin releasing neurotransmitters that block signals to the brain triggering nausea and vomiting while its vasoconstriction effects alleviate dizziness.

Apply a diluted drop to the forehead, temples, wrists or feet at onset of an episode or before provocative triggers like travel or rapid movements.

Reducing Anxiety and Imbalance

In addition to physical distress, vertigo attacks also unleash destabilizing psychological effects like anxiety, panic, tension, mental fog and impaired concentration which heighten symptoms.

Lavender Oil

With its neroli, linalool and linalyl acetate compounds, lavender essential oil is renowned for its immediate calming effects through modulating glutamate and GABA brain activity which counteracts anxiety and depression.

Inhale the vapor directly from the bottle, diffuse nearby or massage with a carrier oil onto neck and shoulders to lessen emotional chaos during episodes.

Frankincense Oil

This ancient aromatic balsamic oil boosts nervous system health with its bioactive alpha-pinene and limonene capable of easing anxiety, obsessive ideation and fear during vertigo attacks when emotional stability deteriorates.

Add a few drops alongside lavender to your palms, cup over nose and mouth while steadily inhaling its woodsy scent for fast relief.

Combating Inflammation and Congestion

Since many vertigo triggers like infections, nerve impingements, injuries and crystals dislodgments provoke inflammation and fluid buildup, essential oils also help treat the root causes.

Oregano Oil

With its high concentration of inflammation-fighting compounds carvacrol and rosmarinic acid, oregano oil displays both antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that provide relief from both inner ear-originating and nerve compression vertigo subtypes.

Mix 2-3 diluted drops into coconut oil and swab outer ear canal with a cotton swab to reduce swelling and congestion, especially during sinus-related flareups.

Helichrysum Oil

This regenerative oil obtained from the immortelle flower contains potent anti-hematoma and nerve healing properties via its flavonoid content. This helps repair vestibular damage while improving circulation.

Massage 2-4 drops diluted with a carrier oil around neck, shoulders and base of skull to alleviate tissue inflammation following concussion or whiplash vertigo onset.

Lifestyle Changes That Lessen Vertigo Episode Severity

While essential oils help mitigate vertigo attacks, research confirms several key lifestyle measures significantly decrease episode frequency, intensity and duration for lasting relief.

Stress and Anxiety Management

Since emotional upheaval exacerbates imbalance, meditating, counseling, yoga, social support all counter overactivity in brain regions that heighten dizzy spells and nausea during vertigo attacks. This restores hormonal balance and neural tone.

Begin practicing de-stressing routines like breathwork, nature immersion, art therapy during non-acute periods so they come easier when attacks hit unexpectedly. Keeping stress hormone levels moderated makes flareups briefer.

Diet Modifications

Eliminating common food intolerances like gluten, dairy, eggs, and alcohol that can trigger underlying inflammation often provides lasting relief, especially for Meniere’s disease patients. A whole food anti-inflammatory regimen reduces flareup intensity over time.

Working with a nutritionist allows tailoring a personalized diet accounting for unique sensitivities based on food journals and labwork so aggravating foods get eliminated while ensuring adequate nutrients that aid recovery.

Targeted Exercises

Special balance training routines like the Epley maneuver and Cawthorne-Cooksey exercises retrain neural pathways while strengthening muscles supporting equilibrium function. This enhances stability and spatial awareness.

When performed 3-4 times a week between episodes, these selectively take pressure off the vestibular system so it can heal while forcing central nervous system adaptation to improve compensation during sudden attacks long term.

Acupuncture

Some small trials indicate acupuncture may help reduce vertigo intensity by modulating trigeminal nerve tone and upper cervical impingements contributing to frequency of episodes. Aligning energetic meridians releases blockages provoking flareups.

Weekly treatments for 6 weeks followed by monthly maintenance sessions decreased attack severity by over 50% for some patients with lasting regulation after the acute regime.

Knowing When Additional Medical Support is Needed

While the above conservative measures - essential oils, lifestyle changes, targeted exercises - work to control symptoms for many, consulting a doctor promptly remains key if:

• Hearing loss or tinnitus arises signalling injury
• Severity or rate of episodes worsens instead of improving
• Persistent dizziness or vomiting for over 48 hours straight
• Migraines or vision changes begin accompanying attacks

Diagnostic testing by specialists helps determine appropriate treatment paths and medication options when home management no longer suffices so attacks do not become fully debilitating over time.

Exploring natural essential oil remedies while also modifying known triggers provides an initial path for suppressing periodic vertigo spells. But staying attuned to changes warranting professional medical support ensures lasting stability and relief.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.