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Dizziness and Vertigo
Adapted from "Healthwise for Life"
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Urgent Tax Information
For VT Homeowners
All VT homeowners are required to file the new DECLARATION OF VERMONT HOMESTEAD FORM HS-131.
Here's what you really need to know about the Homestead Declaration:
You must file if you are a Vermont resident and you own and occupy a Vermont property as your principal home as of April 1, 2004.
Your homestead is your principal dwelling and contiguous land, plus additional buildings and improvements, except parts used for business or rental purposes.
The declaration determines which school property tax rate is applied to your property. You must file the declaration in order to receive the correct rate.
Homesteads are taxed at a base rate of $1.10 per $100 of property value to fund Vermont's per-pupil grant. Your actual tax rate reflects proportional increases for local spending and local assessment levels.
File the declaration as soon as possible but no later than April 15, 2004. You can send the declaration separately from your income tax and other property tax returns.
The form will be mailed to you in December, 2003. You can also get one by calling 1-866-828-2865 (toll-free in VT) or email: taxforms@tax.state.vt.us.
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Dizziness is usually not due to a serious problem; in fact, it is common to feel lightheaded occasionally. It is often due to a momentary drop in blood pressure and blood flow to the head that occurs when you get up too quickly from a seated or lying position. The biggest danger of lightheadedness is the injury that might result if you keel over.
Dizziness that is followed by fainting could be a symptom of heart disease. Dizziness that is accompanied by slurred speech, distorted vision, numbness or tingling in the extremities can signal that a stroke is imminent and the person should seek emergency care.
Vertigo is a sensation that your body or the world around you is spinning or moving. Vertigo is usually related to inner ear problems. While it is rarely life-threatening, it can be unpleasant or disabling. It may occur with nausea and vomiting. It may be impossible to walk when you have severe vertigo.
The most common form of vertigo is triggered by changes in the position of the head, such as when you move your
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head from side to side or bend your head back to look up. This is called benign positional vertigo.
Semi-circular canals within the inner ear contain small nerve endings that contain small crystals. Sometimes those crystals become dislodged and bump up against nerve endings, causing vertigo. This type of vertigo is apt to start and stop suddenly. To treat this type of vertigo, a physician or therapist moves the patient's head in certain ways to shake the crystal out of the canal. It may be necessary to immobilize the patient's head with a special collar for a few days .
Vertigo may also be caused by labyrinthitis, an inflammation in the part of the inner ear that controls balance. Labrynthitis is usually caused by a viral infection and sometimes occurs following a cold or the flu.
If vertigo is mild and clearly provoked by an activity, it probably is not serious. Vertigo that occurs suddenly and unexpectedly or with other symptoms should be evaluated by a physician immediately.
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