Vertigo is an uncomfortable experience for anyone; however vertigo in children may make them distressed and frightened. Addressing a child’s concerns of vertigo, dizziness, or nausea will help them deal with the sensation of vertigo and find out what the underlying cause could be. Vertigo in children is referred to as pediatric vertigo. Pediatric vertigo stems from two sources: it is either a benign positional vertigo (BPPV) caused by a fear of heights; extreme or out of place vertigo in children however, is a sign of a disease or condition that will need to be examined by a doctor.

A child who experiences vertigo due to a strange or unusual position such as hanging upside down or being up too high will exhibit signs of dizziness, nausea, and occasionally panic. This type of vertigo can be dealt with simply by changing position: coming down from heights and resting are the best cure for benign vertigo.

Children who show signs of extreme vertigo in situations where vertigo would be unexpected have an unidentified condition or disorder requiring medical treatment. Any child who experiences vertigo in everyday situations will need to have the condition assessed by a health care professional.

While vertigo itself is not a disease, it is a serious condition that needs to be treated properly. Vertigo in children that is not caused by fear of heights is a sign of another disease or condition and not an isolated syndrome in itself. Vertigo can cause a child to suffer form poor hand-eye coordination, slower development in physical activities like riding a bike, feeling dizzy or nauseous and experiencing ringing in the ears (tinnitus). Other signs of vertigo include imbalance or difficulty when walking, complaints of spinning or rotating sensations, clumsiness or hearing loss.

A child who experiences extreme vertigo will need to be seen by a doctor or health care specialist. Vertigo in children can be an indictor of several diseases or conditions that will require treatment, medication or therapy.

Causes of pediatric vertigo include head or neck injury, drug or alcohol abuse by the mother during pregnancy, immune deficiency disorders, and neurological disorders such as cerebral palsy, brain tumors, hearing loss or vestibular disorders.

For a child experiencing vertigo, the treatment depends heavily on the child’s age and the underlying cause of the vertigo. Children who have more serious disorders will undergo medicinal and physical therapy and in some cases major surgery, whereas a child whose vertigo is caused by an injury may only need to undergo physical therapy. Certain exercises can be used to teach a child how to orient themselves in response to the experience of vertigo and deal with the effects in a constructive way.

Any child who exhibits signs of extreme vertigo in a situation where vertigo would be unexpected should be taken to see a doctor. Extreme vertigo in children can have far-reaching consequences on a child’s development, including loss of hearing or problems developing spatial coordination. Any child experiencing signs of vertigo should be seen by a doctor, as treating vertigo in children is extremely important.