Why Are You Still Dizzy? Understanding Vestibular Migraine: A Long Story About the Dizziness Business

Struggling with vertigo? Discover the hidden culprit behind your dizziness! Vertigo and dizziness have been longstanding afflictions throughout human history and are the second most common health complaints worldwide. Yet, key questions remain unanswered: Why are effective treatments so rare? Why do vertigo/dizziness often recur, even after apparent recovery? Why do conditions like Ménière's disease and Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) recur despite treatment?
Patients require not just a diagnosis but comprehensive treatment. Therefore, it's essential to go beyond merely labeling a patient's condition as "you have vertigo." Conditions like chronic subjective dizziness, phobic postural vertigo, subjective imbalance, space-motion phobia, Meniere's Disease, BPPV, and Chronic Dizziness essentially translate to "you have vertigo." Accurate diagnosis begins with understanding the patient's unique condition. Empowering patients with knowledge and fostering their understanding of the disorder are fundamental aspects of this process.
"Why Are You Still Dizzy?" delves into the startling possibility that conditions like Ménière's Disease, BPPV, chronic dizziness, and some other peripheral vertigo diagnoses might be manifestations of a single, often overlooked issue: Vestibular Migraine (VM). Migraine-related vertigo has been documented since AD 200. Take a journey through the long history of the migraine-vertigo connection to understand why VM waited two millennia to gain recognition. Learn about the established diagnostic criteria in 2012 and why the medical community is still divided on its classification. Learn about the anatomy of the vestibular system and explore how it functions, what happens when it malfunctions, and why understanding it is crucial. Visual aids make complex concepts easy to grasp. VM's diverse symptoms often lead to mislabeling. Recognizing VM allows for a holistic appraisal of patients, considering genetic backgrounds, personal histories, lifestyles, and more to provide accurate and effective treatments.
"Why Are You Still Dizzy?" redefines our understanding of vertigo, advocating for broadening diagnostic and treatment approaches that will significantly enhance the quality of life for millions. The author traces the evolution of health approaches through the work of pioneering scientists like Aretaeus, Darwin, Lieving, Politzer, Prosper Ménière, Margaret Dix, Charles Hallpike, Portman, Schucnecht, and John Epley. Discover how their contributions shaped our current understanding of vertigo and dizziness. Empower yourself by understanding VM and its triggers. Learn practical tips for managing your condition effectively by adjusting your diet, sleep habits, and exercise routines. Embrace a new approach to health that sees you as a whole individual.

Alev Üneri, MD, is a distinguished expert in vertigo and dizziness with years of academic and clinical experience. She earned her medical degree in 1979 from the Hacettepe University in Ankara and completed her Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery residency at the same institution. As a former professor at Marmara University Neurological Sciences Institute in Istanbul, Dr. Üneri established her initial vertigo and dizziness clinics there. Since then, she has collaborated with thousands of vertigo and dizziness patients. Dr. Üneri's approach combines personal insight with academic rigor. Drawing from her experiences with vertigo and years of dedicated research and clinical practice, she offers a comprehensive and empathetic understanding of vertigo and dizziness. She challenges prevailing perceptions and misconceptions about these conditions by drawing on scientific research, historical insights, and firsthand experiences. Her book aims to provide guidance to healthcare professionals and offer hope to millions silently grappling with vertigo.