Uncertainty Over Steve Smith’s Afghanistan Match – As He Suffers Vertigo Symptoms: What is Vertigo ?Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
Will Australia’s star batsman Steve Smith play a crucial match against Afghanistan today (Tuesday)? The fitness of the prolific batter is a cause for concern for the Australian team. As the Australian batsman suffered vertigo symptoms during the practice session at Wankhede Stadium on Monday.
It is a must-win game for Team Australia to secure a semi-final spot in the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup. If Steve Smith fails to secure a spot in the playing XI, it would be a significant blow for the team. It is also a must-win match for Afghanistan as they need to win both of their remaining league matches to qualify for the semi-finals as the fourth-ranked team.
Some photographs and videos published by Australian websites showed Smith collapsing to his knee before getting down on all fours during a training session. He was then spotted sitting on a plastic chair, in obvious discomfort.
Later, speaking to the media, Smith revealed that he suffered vertigo symptoms. He confirmed that he had experienced vertigo symptoms over the last day or so and occasionally had a few episodes. He confessed that he would go out and have a hit and hopefully be okay and see how they go.
What is Vertigo?
For those who are not aware of what vertigo is, it is a symptom, not a condition, that feels like you or everything around you is spinning and affects your balance as well. It is more than dizziness and can last for a few seconds or for several hours. In severe cases, a vertigo attack may last for many days or months.
Symptoms
Symptoms of vertigo include dizziness, loss of hearing in one or both ears, ringing in the ear (tinnitus), loss of balance, and problems with focusing the eyes.
What causes vertigo?
The most common causes of vertigo are inner ear problems, including BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo), in which specific head movements cause vertigo, inflammation of the vestibular nerve in the inner ear called vestibular neuritis, and inner ear infections caused by a cold or flu virus. Meniere’s disease, a rare ear condition that sometimes involves ringing in the ear (tinnitus) or loss of hearing, migraines, and the usage of certain medications can also cause vertigo. Sometimes the cause is unknown.
Treatment
Most of the time, vertigo gets better without treatment. Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics if it was caused by an infection. If you have severe vertigo symptoms, it is better to consult your physician, especially ENT doctors.
Dr. Ravindra Gadag, HoD of the ENT department at KIMS, told Hubli Express that the most common problem causing vertigo is an inner ear problem. Therefore, people suffering from vertigo symptoms should consult ENT specialists. Approximately 90% of patients require the attention of ENT specialists, while only around 10% of patients with slurred speech or other neurological problems require a visit to neurologists.
Dr. Gadag said that exercise plays a major role in helping people with vertigo. They recommend labyrinthine exercises (exercises for vertigo) to help alleviate the symptoms. In addition to exercise, medication may also be necessary. Most people, when experiencing vertigo symptoms, end up visiting general physicians, believing that their blood pressure is high, and they are suffering from general weakness, according to Dr. Gadag.
