Certain pre-existing conditions can trigger vertigo. For example, it is quite common for people with multiple sclerosis to experience episodes of dizziness. Migraines and diabetes can also cause vertigo. The latter is subject to dizziness when the condition causes the arteries to harden or narrow, reducing the flow of blood to the brain. As a result, the house edge for slot machines is often higher than the house edge for other games. Blackjack has a low house edge of between 0.5% and 1% (assuming you play well). Even if you play badly, the house edge at blackjack probably maxes out at 4% or so. But the house edge for most slot machines is 5% or more.
- Can Slot Machines Cause Vertigo Without
- Can Slot Machines Cause Vertigo Symptoms
- Can Slot Machines Cause Vertigo Attacks
- Can Slot Machines Cause Vertigo
Owning a vintage slot machine is one of those fun yet daunting ideas. Many old school one-armed bandits are beautifully designed and instant conversation pieces. Plus slot fans who own a machine don’t ever have to worry about losing money to the house.
Charles August Fey, a Bavaria-born inventor, was living in San Francisco when he invented his first gambling machine in 1984. His games grew to be so popular at local bars, he quit his day job and opened a factory to start mass producing them, most notably the Liberty Bell machines in 1899. A lot of the functionality from that early game remained in place through much of the 20th century. Watch this video to see the seven mechanical actions set into motion when you pull back the bandit’s arm. The inner workings are probably a little more complex than you expect.
Given that a lot of old slot machines are hand built, it isn’t surprising that coins can get jammed on their way through the mechanism. Big warning: If your machine jams, don’t force the arm or you can break, twist or damage a part inside. Different models and makes tend to have common jam points. The Mills model shown in the above video can have coins stuck in the “elevator” section that displays the last five coins dropped into the machine. Getting the slot working again can be as simple as cleaning the gunk off of an old part. You just need to be smart when you’re disassembling and reassembling the machinery.
Okay, there are plenty of more places where a coin can get stuck and the above video demonstrates how to fix a variety of jams. It also explains how to disassemble the major parts of the machine and where common problem areas are.
Curious how an antique slot machine knows how much money a winner gets? This video shows the punch-card like communication that trips payouts and how. If you ever need to replace the reel symbols or calibrate the machine you’ll need to understand how these work. Even if you don’t ever plan on owning a machine, the metallic “circuitry” is interesting to see.
Want to own a modern slot machine? New ones have plenty more bells, whistles and dings, and also a lot more advanced parts. If you plan on getting one, you may want to have an idea of what’s inside. In addition to the classic reels, there are speakers, motherboards filled with programming chips and plenty of wires. Unless you have a way with a soldering iron you probably won’t try and fix it. But in case you do, here’s a clip from Discovery showing what’s inside.
Did you know newer slot machines are smart enough to test themselves when a problem happens? This video shows you the procedure for having the machine check its own system. The host’s desert dry delivery is also enough to make this vid worth a watch.
Published: 2 March 2017
Medicine-induced Vertigo
Prescriber Update 38(1): 12-13
March 2017
Key Messages
- Consider the possibility of a medicine-related cause in patients presenting with vertigo.
- Many different types of medicines may cause vertigo.
- Some medicines that cause vertigo are also ototoxic.
- When reporting cases of ‘vertigo’ to CARM, it is helpful to differentiate between true vertigo and other sensations of ‘dizziness’.
Vertigo has a number of possible causes, most commonly vestibular neuritis, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) or vestibular migraine, but it can also be caused by medicines1,2.
Can Slot Machines Cause Vertigo Without
Vertigo is a sensation of motion either of the body or the surrounding environment. It occurs when the brain receives conflicting visual, proprioceptive and vestibular information about one’s position in space3.
Vertigo is often described by patients as ‘dizziness’, a non-specific term used to express a variety of sensations that may also include light-headedness, faintness and imbalance, all of which have many possible causes. It is important to distinguish between these symptoms as the cause and management may differ.
Medicines known to Cause Vertigo
A variety of medicines have been associated with vertigo (Table 1).
Some medicines that cause vertigo are also ototoxic (eg, aminoglycosides, anti-inflammatory medicines, phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitors, furosemide). When a patient who is taking a medicine known to be ototoxic presents with vertigo, dose reduction or discontinuation of the medicine may need to be considered to prevent irreversible hearing loss.
Can Slot Machines Cause Vertigo Symptoms
Table 1. Examples of medicines that may cause vertigo (this is not an exhaustive list)
| Medicine Class | Examples |
|---|---|
| Analgesics | codeine |
| Antibiotics | aminoglycosides, macrolides, minocycline, nitrofurantoin, sulfamethoxazole |
| Anticonvulsants | levetiracetam, phenytoin, pregabalin |
| Anti-inflammatories | celecoxib, parecoxib, naproxen, prednisone |
| Antimalarials | mefloquine, quinine, hydroxychloroquine |
| Antivirals | oseltamivir, raltegravir |
| Anti-Parkinson’s drugs | lisuride |
| Cardiovascular drugs | nifedipine, furosemide, indapamide, prazosin, terazosin, glyceryl trinitrate, isosorbide mononitrate, sotalol, timolol |
| Gastroenterology drugs | omeprazole, lansoprazole, sucralfate |
| Rheumatology drugs | zolendronic acid, alendronate |
| Phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitors | sildenafil, vardenafil |
| Other medicines | lithium, haloperidol, benzodiazepines, desmopressin, melatonin |
Cases of Vertigo Reported to CARM
The Centre for Adverse Reactions Monitoring (CARM) received 98 case reports of vertigo from 1 January 2006 to 31 December 2015.
The most frequently reported medicine was influenza trivalent vaccine (11 reports). However, only three of the reports gave a clear description of vertigo. In one of these cases, vertigo was associated with severe headache and weakness on one side. In the remaining eight cases, the term vertigo has been used, but it is not clear from the case description whether it was true vertigo or dizziness.
The second most frequently reported medicine was thyroxine (eight reports). The majority of these cases appear to be related to a change in formulation that was introduced in September 2007.
The next most frequently reported medicines are simvastatin (five reports), venlafaxine (five) and omeprazole (four).
As is often the case for medicines with an established safety profile, cases of vertigo associated with medicines that are well known to cause vertigo (eg, aminoglycosides), are rarely reported to CARM.
Can Slot Machines Cause Vertigo Attacks
Vertigo is not listed as an adverse effect in the data sheets of the majority of medicines in the cases reported to CARM. However, it is worth noting, ‘dizziness’ is listed as an adverse effect.
When reporting cases of ‘vertigo’ to CARM, it is helpful to differentiate between true vertigo and other forms of ‘dizziness’. A description of the patient’s symptoms is useful, particularly whether or not the patient experienced a sense of motion (eg, ‘felt that the room was spinning’). This helps CARM and Medsafe to identify whether any update to the medicine’s data sheet is necessary and any further communication is required.
References
Can Slot Machines Cause Vertigo
- Drug-induced true vertigo and balance disorders. 2015. Prescrire International. 24(156): 18.
- Best Practice Advocacy Centre (BPAC). 2012. A delicate balance: managing vertigo in general practice. URL: www.bpac.org.nz/BPJ/2012/september/vertigo.aspx (accessed 22 October 2016).
- Walker B, Colledge N, Ralston S, et al. 2014. Davidson's Principles and Practice of Medicine 22nd edition. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.