Associations between peripheral vertigo and gastroesophageal reflux disease

Medical Hypotheses: We hypothesize that peripheral vertigo is associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Two mechanisms could be considered – gastric acids may directly irritate the respiratory mucosa and cause inflammation, or Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) could be present and cause local infection. Reflux material (Hydrochloric acid (HCl) and pepsin) could get into the middle ear via Eustachian tube and affect osseous structures directly. Disturbance of ossicles could cause tinnitus, which is more common for peripheral vertigo. H. pylori could also get in the esophagus and in the upper respiratory tract via gastroesophageal reflux, and could cause tympanosclerosis and fixation of ossicles.
In our study group, 120 of 153 (78.4%) patients had gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Diagnostic tests of H. pylori (rapid urease test or blood antibody test) were performed for 96 of 120 (80%) patients with GERD and were found positive for 32 of 96 (33.3%) patients. Peripheral vertigo was present in 93 of 120 (77.6%) patients with GERD compared to 33 of 126 (26%) patients without GERD (χ2=9.016, p=0.003). H. pylori and peripheral vertigo coexisted in 26 of 126 patients (20.6%) (OR 1.36; 95% CI 0.49-3.74, p=0.55). Our study demonstrated statistically significant association between peripheral vertigo and GERD but not between peripheral vertigo and H. pylori.. Further more extensive investigations are needed in order to explore our hypothesis.