I Was Scared in the Emergency Room | Vertigo

I was scared in the emergency room | vertigo.

There I was, in the emergency room with someone very close to me recently. But, I was not the patient, I was a companion. Not going to lie, I felt scared and vulnerable and I wasn’t even on the gurney! I wasn’t the one with the symptoms. The racing heart beat. The dry mouth. The room spinning. The emergency room lobby was full. Sign-in and wait your turn. Jimmy Fallon was blaring on the TVs. We waited our turn.

I got a call in the middle of the night. It always happens in the middle of the night. I jumped out of bed, and raced over to pick-up my loved one. Something must be terribly wrong to make them want to go to the emergency room. Really wrong. I thought, it must be life threatening.

On the way, I asked a million questions. After all, my training is the same as a medical doctor’s, minus the pharmacology. But even then, I know pharmacology pretty well. The symptoms were vague, even common. They came on out of the blue, without warning.

These Were the Symptoms

  • “the room has been spinning for 2 hours”
  • extreme nausea
  • “my mouth is very dry, like cotton balls”
  • high blood pressure
  • whole body weakness
  • numbness in left toes
  • headache
  • disorientation
  • increased heart rate

What the Doctor Said

“Well, your blood work and urinalysis are normal. There is nothing wrong with you. You don’t need additional imaging like a MRI or CT scan. Are you sure you haven’t had anxiety attacks in the past? Are you under extra stress? Have you been drinking enough water? There could be a million reasons for your symptoms, but they have passed. We won’t worry until they happen again, or your blood pressure is over 200.”

We were there for several hours. As we slowly walked back to the car, we had more questions than answers. The official diagnosis was anxiety.

What I Was Reminded of That Night

Health is our birthright. And unfortunately, the current state of our health care system is not health care, but sick care. And even when you have a laundry list of symptoms, we still didn’t have answers. I wanted answers; dove deep and did a bunch of research the following morning. I looked at the scary options first. Could it have been a TBI (traumatic brain injury)? A stroke? I quickly ruled those out. Thank goodness. I kept searching. Could it have been the fumes from the new paint on the walls? Possibly. I hate to say it, but the ER doctor didn’t even ask about whiplash, car accidents or head trauma.

Vertigo: Diagnosis By Exclusion

By exclusion, I settled on vertigo. Within a 2 year time frame this person has been in 2 car accidents and 1 work accident (all involving head trauma and whiplash). I have on many occasions read the research that links head trauma to: Vertigo, Ménière’s disease, TMJ and Trigeminal Neuralgia. And, how a causal relationship is often missed because there is time between the trauma and the onset of symptoms. Sometimes years. ( learn more here about health solutions for Ménière’s disease and Trigeminal Neuralgia relief)

Everything is normal. In the past I would have believed that. Not now.

Not after I know what I know. Head trauma and whiplash 100% affect you down the road. Don’t brush it off. Take the time and effort to get consistent upper cervical care right away.

It matters. If not now, it will likely matter later.

P.S. We were in the office the next day adjusting! Everything was not normal.

P.S.S. I am grateful that I have the certainty that I know like the air that I breathe, that upper cervical chiropractic care and NUCCA will come to the rescue once more!

I’ve read the research. I’ve done my homework.

Want an expert on your health team? Call our office at (619) 756-7510 or request an appointment here.

 

 

Dr. Jeanett Tapia, DC, ACP

Gentle Adjustments. Powerful Results.

Gentle NUCCA Chiropractors Intouch Chiropractic | San Diego, CA (619) 756-7510 sandiegonucca.com

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