The vestibular nerve and the cochlear nerve join to form the vestibulocochlear nerve, or cranial nerve VIII, which sends impulses to the brain. Problems with cranial nerve VIII can cause problems with hearing; cause tinnitus, where you have a buzzing or ringing sound in the ears; or cause a loss of balance. It is vital for the information from this nerve to be coordinated with information coming from your muscles and eyes. Zinc is not linked with vertigo, but taking too much may cause dizziness.
Vertigo
The sensation of vertigo can be difficult to describe, but it is basically feeling that you are moving when there is no actual movement. The central nervous system, or the brain and spinal cord, is responsible for the coordination of information from the inner ear, the eyes and the muscles. The inner ear gives information about balance, the visual information comes from the eyes and the muscles relay information about body movements, as explained in “Tintinalli’s Emergency Medicine” by Brian Goldman, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto. Vertigo happens when the information from two or more of the senses does not match.
Types of Vertigo and Symptoms
There are two types of vertigo. Peripheral vertigo is due to problems in the inner ear and cranial nerve VIII of the brain. Central vertigo is caused by problems in the cerebellum and brain stem areas of the brain. The symptoms of vertigo can sometimes help a physician determine whether the vertigo is peripheral or central and, therefore, help determine where the problems lie, explains Roger Simon, M.D., Director of Neurobiology Research in “Clinical Neurology.” The symptoms of peripheral vertigo may come and go, and are usually severe; there may also be hearing loss. The symptoms are usually constant but less severe in central vertigo, which rarely causes hearing problems.
Zinc
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center is an antioxidant mineral, protecting the tissues from the oxidative damage caused by free radicals. It has a role in the formation of blood clots, in taste, smell, fetal development, protein metabolism, vision, the structure of cell membranes, the immune system, the proper function of the thyroid and in the production of DNA, proteins and RNA. It is an essential mineral, meaning your body cannot make it and it must come from your diet.
Zinc, Dizziness and Vertigo
Women need 8 milligrams of zinc every day, while men need 11 milligrams a day. A high amount of zinc can cause dizziness, not vertigo. Dizziness is not the same sensation as vertigo, although some people mistakenly think the two words mean the same thing. If you are dizzy, then you feel lightheaded or faint; you do not feel as though you are moving or that things around you are spinning around, as you do when you have vertigo.
References
- Adams & Victor’s Principles of Neurology; Allan Ropper, M.D. and Martin Samuels, M.D.
- Clinical Neurology; Roger Simon, M.D., et al.
- Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment 2012; Stephen McPhee, M.D. and Maxine Papadakis, M.D.
- The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals: Dizziness and Vertigo
- Tintinalli’s Emergency Medicine; Judith Tintinalli, M.D., et al.
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Zinc
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